A large monkey of west-central African rainforests and one of the most colourful mammals, with red and blue skin on its face and rump. It is the most sexually dimorphic primate: males are far bigger than females, with longer canines and brighter colours.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?Can be
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Hunted for bushmeat, one of the biggest threats to it.
At a glance
Found inAfrica
HabitatRainforest
ColoursOlive, Red, Blue
SizeMedium
LengthMales 70–95 cm, females 55–70 cm (head and body)
WeightMales 19–30 kg, females 10–15 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives introops
Lives for20–30 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Southern Cameroon, mainland Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and parts of the Republic of the Congo.
- What it eats
- Mostly fruit and seeds, plus leaves, mushrooms and animals from insects to young duikers.
- Conservation
- Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
The largest monkey in the world, and one of the most colourful mammals.
Mandrills live in "hordes" that can number in the hundreds; hordes in one Gabon park averaged 620 animals.
Adult males live alone and rejoin the horde only in the breeding season.
Often confused with
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