…Amazing Animal Books
Mandrill Facts
Old World Monkey
Alternative names: Mandrillus sphinx
Where in the world? Africa, particularly in Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Congo
Habitat: Tropical rainforests, forests and savannas
Diet: Fruits, leaves, bark, stems, plant fibers, mushrooms, insects, spiders, snails, birds, frogs, tortoises, porcupines, rats, tortoises and young antelopes
Size: 22 to 37 inches long
Weight: 27 to 120 pounds
Average lifespan: 20 to 31 years
Conservation status: Vulnerable
The Mandrills are the largest and the most colorful of the monkeys. It is almost the same size as a bonobo, which is the smallest of the great apes. Its appearance is also closer to apes, since it has a more muscular build and almost no tail.
Horde Living
Mandrills live in hordes, with the largest horde recorded as having 1,300 mandrills – the largest group of non-human primates ever observed. They are mostly terrestrial (ground dwelling), and can travel long distances on the ground with their long arms.
Colorful Monkeys
There are thick, purple and blue coloured ridges along the nose; red lips and nose and a gold coloured beard. The rear end is also multicolored in blue, pink, scarlet, red and purple. Adult females, are less colorful and are smaller in size than the males. The males with the brightest and most distinctive colors are the most attractive to the females. Baby mandrills have a pink face and dark fur and are born open-eyed.
Foraging
Mandrills have large cheek pouches inside their mouth. This pouch is used to store food that they can eat at a later time. Males spend most of their time foraging on the ground while the females and the young forage up in the trees. Most of the day is spent foraging for food. The mandrills consume fruits, seeds, eggs, small animals, mushrooms, soil etc. When night falls they retreat into the safety of the trees.
Find out More with IP Factly’s Book 25 Awesome Apes & Monkeys
Mandrill YouTube video playlist.
Details of the videos featured are underneath.
Find more monkey videos here.
The Playlist:
- Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) by Carlos Monzon
- Planet Wild Mandrills | Storyteller Media by StorytellerMedia
- Wild mandrills in Gabon (Parc de la Lékédi) by Jordi Galbany
- Chez les mandrills, audacieux celui qui profite du relâchement de la vigilance des dominants by Xavier HUBERT-BRIERRE
- mandrills.MTS by Explorator Voyages
