Cercopithecus sclateri, Pocock, 1904

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Cercopithecidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 550-755 : 689

73.

Sclater’s Monkey

Cercopithecus sclateri

French: Cercopithéque de Sclater / German: Sclater-Meerkatze / Spanish: Cercopiteco de Sclater

Other common names: Sclater’'s Guenon

Taxonomy. Cercopithecus sclateri Pocock, 1904 ,

Nigeria, Benin City.

C. sclateri 1s a member of the C. cephus superspecies group as defined byJ. Kingdon in his 1997 Field Guide to African Mammals. It also includes C. cephus , C. petaurista , C. erythrotis , C. ascanius , and C. erythrogaster . C. P. Groves in his 2001 Primate Taxonomy had the same composition for his cephus species group. Individuals found toward the Cross River Valley have varying tints of red on the nose and ears. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Nigeria, in a few small, scattered populations in forest and derived savanna between the lower Niger and Cross rivers, including the Niger Delta (specifically, from W of Oguta at 5° 42° N,just E of the Niger ); it occurs N as far as the Eastern Aboine River in Ebonyi State.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 45-55 cm (males) and 40-45 cm (females), tail 60-75 cm (males) and 45-60 cm (females); weight 3—4-5 kg (males) and 2.5-3.5 kg (females). Anterior crown of Sclater’s Monkey is brindled black and yellow, forming a diadem of gold-flecked hair, bordered posteriorly by a black band that runs from eye to ear and around back of the crown. Throat is white but does not form a distinctive ruff as seen in the Red-bellied Monkey ( C. erythrogaster ). There is a narrow, pale brow band, and facial skin around eyes is pale bluish or pink. Skin of muzzle, including tip of nose, is pale and pinkish (sometimes with a reddish edge). Cheeks have tufts of lemon-yellow hairs, with light yellow whiskers. Ears have a prominent fringe of white hairs forming tufts. Back, flanks, outer limb surfaces, and dorsal proximal surface are speckled gray olive-brown (“agouti” coloration). Ventral side and forearms are grayish. Dorsal side oftail is the same color as back, and it has a red ventral base becoming white in the middle and darkening toward tip; however, there is considerable individual variation in this feature.

Habitat. Remnant secondary, gallery, riparian, and freshwater swamp forests. Sclater’s Monkey originally occurred in moist tropical lowland forest, but because of severe habitat degradation, it now persists in remnant habitats. It is also found in “farmbush” (secondary growth and scrub on farmland), and small remnant tree groves (sometimes where only scattered trees remain in villages) where it is regarded as sacred. All sites from which it is known are below 130 m above sea level.

Food and Feeding. Diets of Sclater’s Monkey are no doubt mainly fruits, along with leaves and animal prey. In villages where they are considered sacred, they eat agricultural crops (such as oil palm nuts) and steal food from houses.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. Sclater’s Monkey occupies all levels of the forest canopy, but in areas where they are hunted, they spend much of their time in thick, low growth. No further information on the activity patterns is available.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is limited information on the social organization of Sclater’s Monkey. Short-term observations found groups of 3-30 individuals. Groups probably comprise a single adult male, adult females, and young. Evidence for this comes from their vocalizations; loud calls usually come from only one location in a group (indicating the presence of a single male). The home range and ranging behavior of Sclater’s Monkey have not been studied.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red Lust. Sclater’s Monkeyis listed as Class B in the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. It has undergone a population decline exceeding 30% over the past 27 years (three generations). Principle threats include habitat loss and degradation and hunting. Sclater’s Monkey was once feared to be extinct in the wild; until the 1980s, no wild populations had been observed. It was known only from a single captive individual first described in 1904. In 1988, Sclater’s Monkey was found just south-west of Oguta, Im o State, and further surveys have since confirmed its presence at more than 30 sites. Most of them are in a few, small, fragmented, and degraded forests, with correspondingly small populations. Sclater’s Monkey occurs in a region with one of the densest human populations in all of Africa. Much of the original habitat has been converted to cultivated land, used for petroleum exploration, or has been destroyed by logging. The level of fragmentation is of particular concern as populations become ever more separated and isolated. Sclater’s Monkey has a slight advantage over other guenons with regard to hunting; they are small and elusive, and not a preferred or commonly caught species. Sclater’s Monkey receives some protection because of traditional beliefs in a few Igbo and Ibibio villages where it is viewed as sacred, but it does not occur in any areas that are strictly protected by governmental legislation for wildlife conservation. Sclater’s Monkeys are found in Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve in Akwa Ibom State, Upper Orashi Forest Reserve in Rivers State, and Edumanom Forest Reserve in Bayelsa State. All of these reserves contain fragmented and degraded forest, and the wildlife suffers from unregulated hunting. The continuing degradation and fragmentation of remnant habitats in southern Nigeria are serious threats to the survival of Sclater’s Monkey.

Bibliography. Baker (2005), Baker & Olubode (2008), Baker, Tanimola et al. (2009), Baker, Tooze & Oates (2011), Groves (2001), Oates (1982b, 2011), Oates & Anadu (1989), Oates & Baker (2013), Oates, Anadu et al. (1992), Oates, Baker & Tooze (2008), Tooze (1995, 1996).

Figures

69. Owl-faced Monkey (Cercopithecus hamlyni), 70. Lesula (Cercopithecus lomamiensis), 71. Spot-nosed Monkey (Cercopithecus petaurista), 72. Red-bellied Monkey (Cercopithecus erythrogaster), 73. Sclater’s Monkey (Cercopithecus sclateri), 74. Red-eared Monkey (Cercopithecus erythrotis), 75. Mustached Monkey (Cercopithecus cephus), 76. Red-tailed Monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius)

Distribution. SE Nigeria, in a few small, scattered populations in forest and derived savanna between the lower Niger and Cross rivers, including the Niger Delta (specifically, from W of Oguta at 5° 42° N,just E of the Niger ); it occurs N as far as the Eastern Aboine River in Ebonyi State.