Pennant’s Red Colobus

• Common Name: Pennant’s Red Colobus
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1838
• Monkey Size: 53 to 63 cm (20.87 to 24.80 in)
• Skin Color(s): Maroon and orange
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo

Pennant’s Colobus^[1] or Pennant’s Red Colobus (Piliocolobus pennantii) is a species of arboreal primate in the Cercopithecidae family.

• These African Old-monkeys are native to tropical Central Africa. One of the most distinctive characteristics of colobus monkeys is the lack of thumbs.
• There is a bump where the thumb should be that looks like it was cut. The other fingers are extended to enable climbing, forming a hook to hold on to branches.
• As with many climbing mammals, the limbs of Pennant’s red colobus are elongated. In general, Pennant Red Colobus males tend to be larger than females.
• This species varies in mass from 7 to 11 kg. The length of the head and body generally varies between 53 and 63 cm, while the tail length varies between 60 and 70 cm.
• The head is relatively small, and the belly is round. The subspecies of Pennant’s red colobus vary in coat coloration.
• Shaggy hair varies between shades of brown and orange. The crown is usually dark red to almost black, and the hind legs and tail are usually dark brown.
• The hair on the forehead is parted in the middle.

• Like other red colobus monkeys, the Pennant’s red colobus lives in flocks that may consist of 12 to 80 individuals occupying a territory of 25 to 150 hectares.
• They move nimbly through the canopy, jumping from tree to tree and using the elasticity of the branches.
• Pennant’s red colobus monkeys have specialized teeth that can shred leaves and crack open rigid but flexible immature fruits and seeds embedded in the pulp.
• The Pennant’s Red Colobus is also known for being quite noisy. Sounds described as “squawks” and “barks” can be critical auditory communications between individuals and troops.
• The range of a group of Pennant’s colobus monkeys, often overlapping with other groups, can be 100 ha or more.