Vervet Monkey Facts: Behavior, Habitat, and Intelligence that you should Know!
Introduction: What is a Vervet Monkey?
Vervet
monkeys are well known in Africa and are extensively researched.
They’ve
got these faces that really show what you want, really long tails, and
they’re very social. There is a lot you can learn from them on how clever
animals are, how they communicate, and how they work as a group.
Scientists
and animal lovers alike, well, almost everyone who has a question in their
mind, consider vervet monkeys to be interesting creatures that do things that
are quite similar to the way people used to act many moons ago. This article
will provide you with the basic information on vervet monkey facts in a way that
is easy expected get, whether you are new to receiving our newsletters or a big
animal fan.
________________________________________
How Scientists Organize Vervet Monkeys in Their Taxonomy
Understanding
animal classification allows you to understand where in the animal kingdom the
vervet monkey belongs.
*
Scientific Name: Chlorocebus pygerythrus
*
Kingdom: Animalia
*
Phylum: Chordata
*
Class: Mammalia
*
Order: Primates
*
Family: Cercopithecidae
Vervet
monkeys are closely related to baboons and macaques and form part of the Old
World monkey species.
________________________________________
Home Range of Vervet Monkeys
Where They Live
Vervet
monkeys are most common in sub-Saharan Africa when it comes to where they
reside. They’re pretty adaptable as far as the types of places they live.
You can find them in:
* Savannas
* Grasslands
* Woodlands
* Riverbanks
* Farms
They can
lurk in people’s homes, which has allowed their populations to continue to
thrive in many areas.
External Resource:
National
Geographic – Vervet Monkey
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/vervet-monkey/
________________________________________
What Vervet Monkeys Look Like
Vervet
monkeys have some easy-to-spot features.
What They Look Like
* Its
body is covered in grey fur, and it has a white belly.
* Black face with white fur around it
* Long tail to help they balance (but they
can't grab stuff with it)
* Skinny body for moving fast
Adult
vervet monkeys are typically 16-24 inches in length, excluding the tail. ________________________________________
What’s On The Vervet Menu?
What Do They Eat
Vervet
monkeys are omnivorous, feeding on plants and animals.
What They Usually Eat
* Fruits and berries
* Leaves and flowers
* Seeds and roots
* Insects
* Bird eggs
They
alter their diet with the seasons, which allows them to survive during periods
of food shortage.
External Resource:
San
Diego Zoo – Vervet Monkey
https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/vervet-monkey
________________________________________
How Vervet Monkeys Act and Their Brains
Vervet
monkeys are pretty smart and have complicated social lives.
How Smart They Are
* They pick things up fast by watching others
* They
know where food is available.
* They change how they act when there's danger
Do They Use Tools?
They
don't really use tools like chimps, but they’re good at learning and
remembering stuff.
________________________________________
Communicating: That Famous Alarm System.
One of the neatest things about vervet monkeys is the
way they talk to each other.
Different Sounds for Different Dangers
Vervet
monkeys make different alarm sounds when they see:
* Leopards
* Eagles
* Snakes
Each
sound makes the other monkeys do something specific, so they get what's going
on, not just the noise.
This was
a big deal when people started studying how primates communicate.
________________________________________
How They Live Together
Group
Life
Vervet
monkeys live in groups called troops, usually with:
* 10–50 monkeys
* Mostly grown-up females (they're the center
of the group)
* Grown-up males (they move between groups)
Getting Along
* Moms and babies are super close
* They groom each other to make friends
* They have leaders to keep things calm
Working
together helps them stay alive and safe from predators.
________________________________________
Having Babies and Growing Up
Mating
and Birth
* They usually have babies when it rains
* The babies take about 165 days to show up
Mothers
typically have a single infant at a time.
How Babies Grow
* Babies hold on tight to their moms
* They learn by copying what others do
* They're grown up in about 4–5 years
The way
parents take care of their kids is important for how they learn to get along
with others.
________________________________________
Vervet Monkeys and Us
How We
Interact
Vervet
monkeys often live close to farms and towns. This is good and bad.
Good Stuff
* Important for scientists to study
* Assist
in seed dispersal and maintain a natural equilibrium.
Bad Stuff
* They raid crops
* Cause problems in cities
Taking
care of wildlife responsibly helps keep things from going wrong.
________________________________________
Are Vervet Monkeys in Trouble?
Now it
is being tested
The
IUCN lists the vervet monkey as Least Concern.
They can
exist in a variety of habitats, so they are fine.
But There Are Still Problems
* Losing their homes
* Conflicts with people
* Being
sold as pets illegally
Educating
people about conservation remains worthwhile, even if they aren't at risk at
the moment.
External Resource:
IUCN Red
List – Chlorocebus pygerythrus
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
________________________________________
Why Scientists Care About Vervet Monkeys
Vervet
monkeys help scientists figure out:
* How animals act in groups
* How do they communicate with each other?
* How language started
* How to fight diseases
They're
close enough to humans that they're useful for research that is done ethically
and cautiously.
________________________________________
Cool and Funny Vervet Monkey Facts
* Vervet monkeys can tell people apart
* They sunbathe to warm up
* Young monkeys learn how to act by playing
* They show how they feel with their faces
These
sorts of things demonstrate how intelligent they are in terms of this
social skill. ________________________________________
Conclusion: Why We Are Concerned
With Vervet Monkeys
Vervet
monkeys are more than just animals you look at in Africa. They’re intelligent,
friendly, resourceful, and they play a crucial role in nature and science. When
we understand what vervet monkeys are all about – from how they communicate to
how we can save them – we gain insight into animal behavior and our own
origins.
If we
contain and define the area in which they live, and allow they to have a
right to function in nature, these wonderful monkeys will be with us for a very
long time.
FAQs:
Q1. Are vervet monkeys dangerous?
They are
Vervet monkeys, numbers that are put out critically, but whenfeel threatened
can be very aggressive.
Q2. Is a vervet monkey a pet?
No
deception. It's illegal to keep monkeys as pets in a lot of states, and it's not
good for them.
Q3. What is the lifespan of a vervet monkey?
They are
almost 12–15 years old, and more if they are protected.
Q4. Are vervet monkeys vocal?
They eat
each other and make sounds to be with one another, but that’s not as bad as the human
tongue.
Q5. What predators prey on vervet monkeys?
Leopards, eagles, snakes, and large carnivores are the most important predators.