DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
Central-west Africa. They live in tropical rain forest.
BEHAVIOUR
Mandrills live on the ground by day and sleep in trees at night. They live in groups of several to even 50 individuals. Mandrills have characteristics red and blue face coloration. These colorings are duller in females and juveniles than in adult males.
DIET
Mandrills are omnivorous and their diverse diets include fruits, buds, leaves, roots, insects, fish, meat, crustaceans, fungus and seeds.
REPRODUCTION
Female give birth to a single infant once every two years. Pregnancy lasts up to 173 days. Infants are born with a black natal coat and pink skin, both of which endure for the first two months of life.
GOOD TO KNOW
When a male threatens its rival or a predator, it opens its mouth widely and flashes its powerful (6,5 cm long) canine teeth.
- Latin name: Mandrillus sphinx
- IUCN Red List – VU – Vulnerable
- CITES – Appendix I
- EEP – European Endangered Species Programme
