Virtual Non-Human Primate Zoo

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:

  Order: Primates

    Suborder: Haplorrhini

      Infraorder: Simiiformes

        Parvorder: Catarrhini

          Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea

            Family: Cercopithecidae

              Subfamily: Cercopithecinae

                Genus: Mandrillus

                  Species: sphinx

 

COMMON NAME:  Mandrill

 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION:  Africa

 

HABITAT:  heavily forested areas

 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

• purple and blue ridges on nose

• red nose and lips

• golden beard

 

DIET:  Herbivore

• fruits

• vegetables

• greens

 

LOCOMOTION TYPE:  Terrestrial Quadrupeds

 

SOCIAL GROUP ORGANIZATION:

• one male/multi-female groups of 20

 

PARENTAL CARE:  Mother is primary caregiver

• males provide protection of offspring

 

COMMUNICATION:

• scent marking

• vocalization

• shake their heads and grin

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:  

• The monkey in Disney's The Lion King movie, Rafiki, is a Mandrill.

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS:  Vulnerable

Threats:

• habitat destruction

• bushmeat hunting

 

To learn more about Mandrillus sphinx, visit the following websites:

1. http://www.denverzoo.org/downloads/dzoo_mandrill.pdf

2. http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/mandrill

3. http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/drill/behav

4. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Mandrillus_sphinx/#behavior

5. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/12754/0

 

Information and photographs compiled by J. Ochoa and G. Rocha.