Patas monkey

The common patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas), often referred to as the wadi monkey or hussar monkey, is a monkey that lives on the ground and is found in semi-arid regions of West Africa and East Africa.

On a safari game drive in Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls National Park, you'll probably see it. Because they like to sit on trees or raised savannah ground like anthills to escape predator surprises, they are easy to spot.

Slender patas monkeys have a reddish-brown dorsal and a grey-white ventral coloration. It can be recognized by its black brow ridge, black nose, and white mouth area.

Young Patas monkeys have a black nose that gradually lightens as they get closer to sexual maturity. The vivid blue scrotum is also obvious.

Female Patas monkeys' facial hair notably lightens during pregnancy, possibly as a result of shifting hormone levels.

A male common patas monkey's length, including the tail, which is 75 cm long, ranges from 60 cm (24 in) to 87 cm (34 in) (30 in). Adult females, who typically measure 49 cm (19 in) in length, are much smaller than adult males.

Patas monkey Behaviour

The common Patas monkey lives in multi-female groups that can have up to 60 people (although much larger aggregations have been reported). For most of the year, the group consists of just one adult male. There are multi-male influxes into the group during the breeding season. When boys reach sexual maturity (around age four), they usually leave the group and join all-male groups. The group's adult females take the initiative to move, and the male follows suit.

In common patas monkeys, mating takes place in the rainy season and is seasonal.

Generally, stable groups with one adult resident male and multiple females are the norm during times when females are not receptive.

Young males have been seen to depart from their natal groups between the ages of two and four.

Patas monkey Diet

Insects, gum, seeds, and tubers make up the common patas monkey's diet, which is more typical of much smaller monkeys.

Vocalisation

Common Patas monkeys can alert group members to predators by using a variety of unique warning cries. Adult males, adult females, adolescents, etc. all produce various alarm calls, and specific alarm calls are indicative of particular predator types. Patas monkeys rarely seek safety in trees like other primates do from predators. This is most likely caused by the Patas monkey habitats' relatively low tree cover. While patas monkeys often flee from predators by running on the ground, some have been seen to attack jackals and wildcats. Both males and females have been seen engaging in this behaviour.

In Uganda, where to find patas monkeys.

Only the far north of Uganda is home to the patas monkey, which can be easily spotted on the plains of Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls, and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.