Patas Monkey

The male common patas monkey grows to 60 cm (24 in) to 87 cm (34 in) in length, excluding the tail, which measures 75 cm (30 in). Adult males are considerably larger than adult females, which average 49 cm (19 in) in length. Adult males average 12.4 kg (27.3 lb) and adult females 6.5 kg (14.3 lb), showing a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Males have the longest canine teeth of all the African long-tailed monkeys and the size of their canines plays a role in establishing a pecking order among males. Reaching speeds of 55 km/h (34 mph), it is the fastest runner among the primates. The life span in the wild can be up to about 20 years.

Patas monkeys live in dry, open woodland. They are found in many parts of central, western, and eastern Africa. They have also been introduced to Puerto Rico, where they are an invasive species.

The common patas monkey lives in multi-female groups of up to 60 individuals (although much larger aggregations have been reported). The group contains just one adult male for most of the year. During the breeding season, outside males come into the group to mate with the females. Among primates, patas monkeys have the longest daily travel distances and the largest home ranges for their body size. The adult females in the group initiate movement of the group with the male following their lead. The common patas monkey feeds on insects, gum, seeds, and tubers, a diet more characteristic of much smaller primates.

Mating. Mating in common patas monkeys is seasonal and occurs for roughly one month each year. A female solicits mating by running past a male with her tail curled up and crouching in front of him. On some occasions, she'll also drool and puff out her cheeks.

Female social organization. Variation in the female social structure of patas monkeys has been observed across different populations. This variation may be dependent on food resources, as conflict between individuals is often a result of competition for limited resources. Higher rates of conflict over dense, but limited, food, such as fruit bushes, is associated with more stable, well defined dominance hierarchies than habitats with more diffuse resources, such as insects. …

The relationship between the patas monkey and the whistling thorn acacia may have inspired The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.