Patas Monkey

The common patas monkey, also called the hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey of dry, open woodland and semi-arid areas across West, central and East Africa. Groups hold up to 60 individuals, mostly females with just one adult male for most of the year, and the females lead the group's movements. Patas monkeys feed on insects, gum, seeds and tubers, a diet more typical of much smaller primates. They cover the longest daily distances and the largest home ranges for their body size of any primate. Unlike most primates, they rarely flee into trees from predators.

About the patas monkey

The patas monkey is a long-legged, ground-dwelling Old World monkey of the dry savannas and open woodlands of West and East Africa. Also called the hussar monkey, it is related to the guenons and vervets, and at up to 55 km/h (34 mph) it is the fastest runner of any primate.

Its scientific name is Erythrocebus patas. Its build is described as greyhound-like: a narrow body, long legs for running on all fours, and a prominent rib cage. The shaggy coat is reddish on the back and the long tail, while the belly, legs and feet are white. The chin has whiskers, and the face carries a white moustache, which is why the species has picked up names like "military monkey" and "red guenon."

Males are much bigger than females. A male measures 60 to 87 cm (24 to 34 in) in head and body, with a tail of about 75 cm (30 in), and averages 12.4 kg (27.3 lb). Females average 49 cm (19 in) and 6.5 kg (14.3 lb). Males also have the longest canine teeth of any African long-tailed monkey, and canine size helps set the pecking order among them.

The species' classification has shifted over the years. It was once proposed to be folded into the guenon genus Cercopithecus, but later studies restored Erythrocebus as its own genus. A 2017 study split the patas monkey into three species, a split the IUCN Red List now follows, so the animal once called simply the patas monkey is now known as the common patas monkey.

Behavior and diet

Patas monkeys are diurnal and spend almost all their time on the ground. They live in groups of several females with their young, typically 10 to 40 and up to 60 animals, though larger gatherings have been reported. For most of the year each group has just one adult male. Females are the permanent members. Daughters stay with their mothers for life, while young males leave at two to four years old to join all-male groups or live alone.

The females lead. When the group moves, adult females start the travel and the male follows. Patas monkeys travel farther each day, and use larger home ranges for their body size, than any other primate. One measure puts a typical day's travel at about 4.3 km (2.7 mi) and a home range at 3,200 hectares (about 12 sq mi).

Groups are not friendly with each other, and clashes can break out at shared water holes. Females and young do most of the fighting, defending resources against other females. Inside the group, females that quarrel often make up afterward by sitting together and grooming, especially when they are related. Females without infants of their own help raise other mothers' babies.

The mating season lasts only about a month each year. During it, outside males move in and mate freely with the females, and the resident male has no clear advantage. When the season ends, one male drives off the rest. A female invites mating by running past a male with her tail curled up and crouching in front of him. Gestation is estimated at about 170 days, and a female has a single baby, often every year. In some populations mating runs from June to September and births fall between November and January. Females reach sexual maturity at about three years old and males at four to four and a half, and females can give birth less than 12 months apart.

The diet is unusual for a monkey this size. Patas monkeys eat insects, tree gum, seeds and tubers, a menu more typical of much smaller primates, along with fruit, leaves, roots, flowers and bird eggs. They also raid farms for millet, bananas, peanuts, wheat and dates.

Speed is their main defense. Because trees are sparse where they live, patas monkeys rarely flee into branches, and instead run. They use several distinct alarm calls, which differ by the caller's age and sex and by the type of predator. Both males and females have been seen attacking jackals and wildcats. Predators are poorly documented, but likely include the usual hunters of the African savanna: lions, cheetahs, African wild dogs, hyenas, jackals, snakes and birds of prey.

Range and habitat

Patas monkeys live only in Africa, across the sub-Saharan belt from the western tip of Senegal into East Africa, and as far south as Cameroon. They favor open country: grass savanna, dry woodland with tall grass and grass steppe dotted with thickets. Some live close to the southern edge of the Sahara.

They avoid dense cover, possibly because it hides predators. Water can be a limiting factor in the drier parts of the range. Clearing of forest and drought have created more open land in places like Senegal and East Africa, letting the species spread into new areas. Patas monkeys have also been introduced to Puerto Rico, where they are an invasive species.

Conservation status

The common patas monkey is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, in a 2022 assessment. That rating covers the species in its narrow sense, after a 2017 study split the old species into three, a split the Red List follows. An older account written when the patas monkey was treated as one widespread species lists it as Least Concern.

Threats described for patas monkeys include habitat destruction and hunting, which has increased over time, particularly in West Africa. People hunt patas monkeys for meat, farmers shoot them for raiding crops, and animals are captured for the pet trade and for medical research, with over 1,000 collected per year according to one account. The species is listed on CITES Appendix II. Patas monkeys live in many national parks and reserves, and Cameroon requires a permit for export.