click for sitemap

The Zoo is
CLOSED
for the winter season.
Visit us when we
reopen in April 2010.

 
Monkey (Swamp)   Swamp Monkey






Scientific Name: Allenopithecus nigroviridis
Range: Congo and Western Zaire
Habitat: Swamp forests and riverbank forests
Natural Diet: Fruit, leaves, and small invertebrates
Zoo Diet: Commercial primate biscuit and vegetables
Physical 
Characteristics:
Their head and body length is 18-20 inches; their tails add another 19-20 inches.  They weigh 7-13 pounds. Male swamp monkeys are larger than females.  They are grayish to almost black, but sometimes they have a yellowish or greenish tinge.  Their face skin is grayish-brown and it is lighter around their eyes.
Behavior: Swamp monkeys are arboreal (live in the trees) and diurnal (active during the day).  They forage (look for food) on the ground and in shallow water.  They live in groups of up to forty individuals.  Each group includes several adult males.
Reproduction: The females bear young, which are weaned (when the baby is no longer dependent on the mother’s milk) in approximately three months.  They are mature in 3-5 years.
Notes:   Swamp monkeys are good swimmers, and their webbed toes help them paddle in the water.  To escape predators such as the crowned hawk eagle, various large snakes, and pygmy chimpanzees, they may dive into the water.
 

Click here to return to the animal list