Black-crested mangabeys[1], also known as black mangabeys, are endemic to central Africa, occupying the Democratic Republic of the Congo, south of the Congo River (formerly known as the Zaire River), and likely extinct in Angola.
- They are mainly found in primary and secondary tropical forests, gallery forests, and swamps.
- Slender monkeys with long hair and limbs, black-crested mangabeys are distinguished from other mangabeys by the spiky crest of black hair that rests on their heads.
- They have dark skin, dark eyelids, and narrow-fitting nostrils similar to those of a baboon, which is why they are often called “baboon mangabeys“.
- They also have long brown or grey-brown whiskers almost completely covering their ears.
- Large cheek pouches allow these monkeys to stuff their face with food when roaming the forest for long periods.
