Mandrill Profile

Age Mandrills live to be about 30 years old in the wild, with life spans of over 40 years in captivity.

Body Type: Robust. (Mandrills are the largest Old World monkey!) An average male weighs about 60 pounds or more with a height of 2.5 feet when sitting on the ground. Females are significantly smaller at approximately 25 pounds and less than two feet in height from head to rump. Mandrill tails curve upward and are extremely short, at less than 3 inches in length.

Sex Females can begin reproducing when they are about three years old. Like humans, mandrill males mature later than do females, not entering puberty until four years of age. Puberty and fatherhood do not generally occur at the same time, however, as complete growth and subsequent breeding rights do not occur in males until they reach about 10 years of age. Fully grown males are obvious to the human eye since adult males develop bright yellow-orange beards and red-white-and-blue faces and rumps.

Relationship Status Mandrills are polygamous and live in family groups made up of one adult male, several adult females, youngsters of varying age, and infants. Breeding occurs during the dry-season, which lasts late summer to early fall.

Kiddos After a pregnancy lasting about six months, females birth a single infant, although twins occur on very rare occasion. Babies are completely weaned by the time they are a year old, but the female offspring will tend to remain in their birth group for many years, and males leave the family group once they reach adulthood.

Male Mandrill Skull

Political Views Male mandrills are built for brawling, as evidenced by their large body sizes, muscular frames, and exceedingly large canines. The best fighters, or the most dominant males, have the brightest face and body coloration patterns and typically fight for control of breeding groups. Confrontations can get ugly quickly, so males most often use subtle signals such as head bobbing, ground slapping, and yawning to signal their aggravation with each other instead of actual physical aggression. Mandrills also possess chest glands that produce odor that individuals can use for scent marking to denote their dominance status and demarcate their sleeping sites.

Family Life Known as “herds,” large groups of up to 250 mandrills will congregate together at certain times of the season. The herds are made up of many smaller family groups that come together for protection and social interaction but then split up so the groups can visit smaller food sources.

Home Town Found in Africa in the countries of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon, where they prefer thick, primary rain forests, and other forests that contain ample cover and food sources. Mandrills are endangered, due to the destruction of rainforests throughout their natural ranges.

Oogivore type Primarily frugivores/graminivores, feeding on fruits and seeds of over 100 different plant species. Mandrills also dine on bark, leaves, and regularly partake in carnivory, eating insects, birds, eggs, reptiles, and even small mammals!

Locomotion Quadrupedal

Interests Shaking their vibrant bon-bons as a sign of submissiveness, grooming lazily in the sun, and expressing themselves through colorful vocalizations, such as yaks, grunts and roars.

Pick up a Mandrill tea light or other Mandrill products at the Primarily Primate Shoppe!

Pygmy Marmoset Profile

Age Pygmy marmosets live to be about 11 years old in the wild, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 18.6 years in a captive setting.

Body Type: Petite. An average female weighs about 4 oz (that’s a stick of butter!) with a body length of about 5½ inches if measured from head to rump. But at eight inches, the tail is over 1.5 times the body size in length! On average, males are only slightly larger than females, weighing about 0.2 oz (5 grams) more.

Sex Females usually begin reproducing about two months before they turn two years old, and males reach sexual maturity about a month earlier than do the females.

Relationship Status Most pygmy marmosets only have eyes for one snookum’ at a time. Monogamous family groups are the norm and are made up of one adult female, one adult male, and up to four litters of offspring.

Kiddos After a pregnancy lasting about four months, females give birth to two teeny, tiny marmoset babies. Females will generally produce two litters of offspring per year. Babies are weaned at three months old, but youngsters will remain with the family group until they reach sexual maturity. Males are active parents, toting around the infants most of the time.

Political Views Pygmy marmosets typically avoid aggression and fighting within their own family groups. However, parents will begin to reject their offspring once the youngsters have reached sexual maturity, and resident males will be hostile towards other males that attempt to mate with the group’s adult female. Intimidating gestures include brazen flashes of the genital region, threatening facial expressions, and angry chattering.  Pygmy marmosets also use scent marking to denote their dominance status.

Family Life Group numbers can range in size from solitary individuals to groups of 10 individuals or more. Groups will defend a small area until they have used up all the available resources, upon which time they will move to a new area. Marmosets are currently not at great risk of extinction, due to relatively large numbers in the wild and their ability to inhabit less than optimal habitat.

Home Town Found in the South American countries of Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru, where they prefer floodplain forests, bamboo thickets, and areas of secondary forest that house appropriate plant species for their dietary requirements.

Oogivore type Primarily gummivores, feeding on tree saps and gums of over 50 different tree and vine species. Pygmy marmosets will also eat nectar, fruit, and insects when available.

Interests Producing ultrasonic cries undetectable by the human ear, playing “freeze tag” as they move with stealth through their environment, boasting about their status as the world’s smallest living monkey.

We have Pygmy Marmoset plush at the Primarily Primate Shoppe!  Check out these little cuties!

Proboscis Monkey Profile

Age Proboscis monkeys live to be about 15 years old in the wild, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 25 years in a captive setting.

Body Type An average female weighs about 22 pounds with a body length at around two feet if measured from head to rump. Males are quite a bit larger, weighing about 47 pounds and about six inches taller than females.

Sex Females usually begin reproducing at about four years of age, and males typically become baby-daddies at about five to six years of age.

Relationship Status Polygamous mating occurs throughout the year. Most proboscis monkey groups are made up of several adult males and females, though some groups only have one male with several females or just a bunch of bachelor dudes living together sans females.

Photo by Drew Avery

Youngsters After a pregnancy lasting about 5.5 months, females generally give birth to one baby at a time. Talk about a speedy delivery…the birthing process only takes about three minutes! Babies are weaned when the little tots are approximately seven months old, but youngsters are not independent from their mothers until about one year of age.

Political Views Due to abundant resources, proboscis monkeys really have no need for violence. Aggression and fighting is very low in most groups, and females tend to be the most social with each other. (Uh, oh! Here comes a CAT FIGHT! Occasional fighting does break out between females, but resident males quickly jump in to break up the scuffles.)

Family Life Group sizes are somewhat flexible, and can range from about four individuals to over 20 monkeys. Males will leave their home groups once they mature to find mates and form new groups, and females occasionally change groups as well.

Home Town Are found only on the Indonesian island of Borneo. Proboscis monkeys prefer low-lying mangrove habitats near swamps and rivers, but are endangered due to habitat destruction throughout their home range.

Oogivore type Primarily folivores that dine on over 50 different types of plants, but proboscis monkeys also eat seeds, fruit, flowers, and some small vertebrates.

Interests Swimming with the help of their webbed toes, “honking” loudly when threatened, and kissing the little blue faces of their babies. (Say what??? Infant faces have a blue tint until about 2.5 months of age!)

Golden Lion Tamarin Profile

Age GLTs live to be about 10 years old in the wild, but only after surviving a 40% chance of dying before their first birthday. (Usual COD= predation) The maximum recorded lifespan is 31 years in a captive setting.

Body Type Both males and females weigh in at about one pound each with body sizes of about 10 inches long (25 inches if you include the tail).

Sex Females begin reproducing at about 18 months, and males begin breeding at about two years of age.

Relationship Status Different strokes for different folks! Some groups only have one adult male paired with one adult female, while other groups have several breeding males and females. In the wild, mating occurs during the summer months.

Kiddos After a pregnancy lasting about four months, females generally have two babies at a time. Babies are weaned when the youngsters are approximately three months old, but youngsters are not independent from their mothers until about nine months.

Political Views Male-dominated society, but males take on many “nontraditional” roles, such as carrying and feeding infants.

Family Life Prefer to dwell in small groups of about six to eight individuals, formed of up to four breeding adults, a few teenagers that help with raising babies, and the prior year’s offspring. Both males and females will leave their home groups once they mature to find mates and form new groups.

Home Town Naturally range only in a teeny-tiny region of southeastern Brazil. GLTs need healthy forests to survive and are critically endangered due to reckless habitat destruction throughout their home range. At one time, there were more GLTs living in zoos and laboratories than there were in the wild. A reintroduction project began almost 20 years ago that since has taken captive-bred tamarins and placed many back into the wild. There are now about 400 reintroduced tamarins in the wild, which is almost 1/3 of the total GLT population. (For more about the GLT reintroduction program, click here!)

Oogivore type Mainly a frugivore, but also eats nectar, flowers, insects, and small reptiles. Zoo tamarins especially enjoy bananas and tasty mealworms.

Interests Scent-marking to establish territory, whistling loudly for all to hear, and curling up in tree holes for snuggly cat-naps.

As a supplement to our previous posting about Cryptoprimatology, we have put together a comprehensive chart of all we could “dig up” on the names of cryptic primates from around the globe. Use your sleuthing skills and open up their “X-files,” if you dare!

References and For More Information:

Cryptozoology.com

Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization

Yowiehunters.com

List of Cryptids on Wikipedia

Cryptoprimatology can be defined as the search for and study of legendary primates in order to evaluate the possibility of their existence. The key word here is “legendary,” meaning that there are many stories and oral traditions that center on these primates, but no true scientific evidence can currently validate their existence.  We here at iloveprimtaes.com bravely plunged deep into the x-files to uncover all we could about cryptic primates. Here are some of the mysterious secrets we uncovered:

Human-Like Cryptic Primates

Reports of various “wildmen” exist throughout Asia. The legend of the Yeti, a somewhat human-like hairy being that reportedly ranges throughout the Himalayan mountain region, is one of the most well-known. Three different forms of the Yeti (or Abominable Snowman) have been reported, including a baboon-sized form that reportedly likes to dine on amphibians, a human-sized form covered in long red hair that has a taste for blood, and a shaggy 7-8 feet tall form that feeds on a variety of food items.  The Chinese tale of the Yeren is another legend involving a large, hairy primate that supposedly resembles the modern-day orangutan, only much larger and with a propensity to scream loudly and grab humans, dragging them away for consumption.

Other parts of the world have their share of cryptic hominoid stories as well. At nearly 10,000 reported sightings, the Yowie has earned a name for itself amongst Australian blokes and sheilas. Also called Narcoonah, this ape-like creature is believed to be covered with hair and stands at around six feet tall, ranging throughout the forests of Australia. The Yowie are reported to have prominent fangs that they use to support their diet, which includes livestock and roadkill!

Across the other side of the pond, thousands of North Americans have reported sightings of giant hairy primates that live in seclusion, preferring to avoid human contact. Legend has it that Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a pungent-smelling, upright-walking, large-footed mega-primate that dwells primarily in the upper portions of the United States and Canada.  Is there any scientific evidence supporting these claims? Watch this National Geographic video series and see what you think!

Missing-Links/New Species?

Bondo Mystery Apes

In 2003, several articles were published regarding a potential new species of apes hiding deep in the war-torn regions of the Congo. Local residents in the region often referred to two types of chimpanzees, one of which was a larger, stronger animal. Could those larger-bodied animals represent a new species of ape? In 1996, a Swiss photographer named Karl Ammann began doing work in the area, embarking on collecting trips that resulted in hair and fecal samples, skulls, footprints, and the discovery of ground nesting sites. Chimpanzees typically build sleeping nests in the trees, but these nests were on the ground, like what gorillas would make. Physically, the skulls Ammann collected were chimp-like, but with some gorilla features. The fecal samples revealed a fruit-based diet of the animals, much like a typical chimpanzee. After analyzing the genetic information from the hair samples, scientists concluded that the mysterious animals are indeed chimpanzees, but their subspecies type has yet to be determined. For more information about the Bondo Mystery Apes, visit this site.

Zana

Tales of Zana the ape woman come from Russian folklore and a few sparse zoological and historical records. Sometime around 1890, Zana was captured by hunters and sold to a nobleman who caged her within a small enclosure. Unusual in appearance, Zana was reportedly tall with dark skin and possessed a body covered with hair, extreme strength, long fingers, and opposable toes. Her face was broad and flat, and she was said to have large, strong teeth. After living in captivity for many years, she apparently went from being extremely aggressive towards humans to somewhat tame, capable of performing simple domestic tasks and following the instructions of her caretakers. If the stories are true, it is still unclear as to whether Zana was modern human or some other form of hominoid. Bones of her children have been examined by anthropologists, who have found them to be unusual and without clear origins. For more on her story, click here.

Koolakamba

Koolakamba were described in the late 1800s as a distinct species of ape from West Central Africa. They were differentiated from chimpanzees because of their larger brains and tendency to walk upright nearly all the time. Unfortunately, we do not know enough about these elusive animals to determine whether they are indeed a distinct species of ape, or a hybrid between chimps and another species, or perhaps just chimpanzees with their own unique look. Click here to read more about the Koolakamba!

Oliver

When it comes to physical appearance, the infamous Oliver is another mysterious chimpanzee. Captured from the wild in the late 1960s, he was brought to the United States to be used in a traveling performing act with other chimpanzees. Because he had less hair, a smoother jaw line, and a tendency to walk upright, he stood out from his fellow chimpanzees, seemingly taking on a more human-like persona. He reportedly preferred the company of human primates and partook in human behaviors, such as plopping down with an alcoholic beverage in front of a T.V. screen. It wasn’t long for rumors to begin circulating that Oliver was a human-chimpanzee hybrid, or at the very least, a new species of great ape. Despite much publicity, years went by without enough scientific evidence to validate these claims. However, rumors were finally put to rest recently when genetics studies showed that Oliver is indeed a normal chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) from Central Africa. After many years in the spotlight and several unfortunate years spent as a lab specimen, Oliver was eventually retired to the primate sanctuary in Texas known as Primarily Primates.

Watch this video to learn more about Oliver.

While cryptoprimatology may never make its way into the mainstream, it is nonetheless interesting to wonder whether there really could be remnant Neanderthal populations dwelling in mountain caves or mutated flying monkeys hiding in the depths of some undisturbed forest. Perhaps even more interesting is why so many humans “want to believe” that such cryptic primates and other such oddities do exist. What do you believe?

For More Information:

Cryptozoology.com

Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization

Yowiehunters.com