Foa’s Red Colobus

• Common Name: Central African Red Colobus
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1899
• Monkey Size: 50 to 69 cm (20 to 27 in)
• Skin Color(s): Red and black
• Habitat: Forests
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo

Foa’s red colobus^[1] or Central African red colobus is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• The Red Foa Colobus has long black and red fur on its head and back with light-colored underparts.
• Males have a body length excluding a tail of between 50 and 69 centimeters (20 and 27 in) with a tail between 62 and 67 centimeters (24 and 26 in) long.
• Males typically weigh between 9 and 13 kilograms (20 and 29 pounds), and females typically weigh between 7 and 9 kilograms (15 and 20 pounds).
• It has smaller teeth than most other red colobus species.

• Red Colobus Foa monkeys are incredibly agile, moving through trees on all fours or by brachiation.
• This primate is arboreal and diurnal. They are found in all layers of the tree canopy, from ground level to layer 5.
• Generally, Red Colobus Foas Monkeys are found in large groups of 20 to 90 individuals.
• The name Colobus is derived from the Greek word colobe, meaning “crippled” because they do not have full thumbs.
• Juveniles display a pinkish genital swelling, much like an adult female, to avoid confrontation with older, more prominent, and probably more muscular males in the group.