An African monkey with a black face and grey body hair, living in groups of 10 to 70. It is best known for its alarm calls: each of its predators, from leopards to eagles and pythons, sets off a different call.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
At a glance
Found inAfrica
HabitatGrassland, Forest, Mountains, Farmland
ColoursGrey, Green, Black
SizeSmall
LengthMales 42–60 cm, females 30–49.5 cm (head and body)
WeightMales 3.9–8 kg, females 3.4–5.3 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives introops
Lives for12–24 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Southern and East Africa, from Ethiopia and southern South Sudan down to South Africa.
- What it eats
- Mostly plants: wild fruit, flowers, leaves, seeds and pods, plus grasshoppers and termites.
Did you know
Has separate alarm calls for leopards, eagles and snakes.
Young vervets learn the different alarm calls just by watching the adults.
Many farmers see them as pests because they raid bean, pea, fruit and grain crops.
Often confused with
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