Мандрил
- The mandrill's coloration is one of the most vivid and colorful among primates and mammals in general. The bony grooves along the nose are colored blue or blueish.
- The mandrill has the most colourful face among primates: males have a red-and-blue muzzle and a brightly coloured rump.
- Mandrills are polygamous; a male mates with all the females in his family, but a female cannot choose another mate besides the leader. Thus, all offspring in the family have one father.
- Mandrill infants are playful and shy, unlike adult males, and in maturity occupy a lower hierarchical position in the troop.
- Males are several times larger than females and have long canines.
- One of the largest Old World monkeys.
- In captivity they have lived more than 30 years.
- They eat fruit, seeds and small animals.
- Mandrills live in large groups and spend a lot of time on the ground.
- Males produce loud calls.
Age
Mandrillus sphinx typically lives for 20 to 30 years, with a maximum lifespan of 40 years and a theoretical lifespan ranging from 20 to 40 years; the species reaches sexual maturity between 2 years and 5 months and 4 years and 1 month of age. The young are born with their eyes open, and the embryo develops inside the mother. The infant stage begins at birth and lasts from 1 day to 2 years, during which the young spends the first months with its mother. The adult stage lasts from 4 to 40 years, and during this time the species lives in a group and can reproduce.
Phenotype
The young Mandrillus sphinx has dark and dense fur, while the adult’s body fur is olive green on the back and lighter on the sides. The adult possesses long, sharp canines used for protecting the group and displaying threats; the head skin is vividly colored blue and red to demonstrate strength and attract females. This species also has a short tail with no particular function.
Physiology
The Mandrillus sphinx exhibits considerable size variation; body height ranges from 17.8 centimeters to 4.5 meters, and body length varies from 45 centimeters to 0.95 meters. The species’ mass falls between 11.36 and 12.84 kilograms during the embryonic stage, with body length ranging from 1 millimeter to 5 centimeters and body mass from 1 to 400 grams. During the infant stage, the young have a body mass of 0.7 to 4.5 kilograms and a body length of 25 to 45 centimeters. Adult individuals weigh between 25 and 35 kilograms, with a body length of 55 centimeters to 0.95 meters.
Habitat
Mandrillus sphinx inhabits elevations up to 800 meters above sea level and occupies tropical dry forests with a hot climate and a dry season, tropical moist forests that are consistently hot and humid with large trees and vines, and tropical savannas characterized by heat and uneven rainfall with abundant grass and trees. The species lives on land within forested areas. The climate varies; winters have little precipitation while summers experience more rain, or the climate is hot with little winter precipitation but summer rains, or it is consistently hot and humid with nearly daily rainfall, or simply hot year-round with frequent rains but occasional dry periods.
Shelter
Mandrillus sphinx inhabits the crowns of tall trees and does not have a permanent or long-term shelter. The species does not utilize a fixed den, and its shelters serve for protection from predators and for resting.
Geography
Mandrillus sphinx occupies the biogeographical realms of Afrotropics and Neotropics, inhabiting South Congolian forest-savanna, West Congolian forest-savanna, and Angolan escarpment savannas and lightly wooded areas.
Feeding
Mandrillus sphinx are omnivorous, gathering fruits, leaves, seeds, insects, and occasionally small animals; the species obtains food on the ground and low branches, utilizing paws and keen eyesight. Their diet includes fruits, seeds, leaves, insects, small vertebrates, coniferous cones, beetles, butterflies, diptera (two-winged insects), hymenoptera (membrane-winged insects), bedbugs, orthoptera (straight-winged insects), dragonflies, stoneflies, net-winged insects, decapods (ten-legged crustaceans), ribbon worms, and snails. The species' feeding strategy involves searching for and acquiring food, with a daily food requirement ranging from 0.5 kilograms to 1.5 kilograms. Young Mandrillus sphinx consume milk, while adults also feed on a variety of invertebrates such as dragonflies and ribbon worms. In some cultures, the animal is consumed, but it is not considered halal or kosher.
Reproduction
The Mandrillus sphinx inhabits terrestrial environments and develops on land, away from bodies of water; the young develop in nests built on the ground or close to it, and also in nests high in the branches of shrubs or trees. Embryonic development lasts 5 months and 3 weeks, and the female gives birth to a single live offspring after about six months of gestation. The species reproduces through homogamy, always with fertilization and without generational change; males compete for females. The young reach maturity between 3 years and 7 months and 8 years of age. A litter has one individual, and the female cares for the single offspring. The interval between successive litters is from 1 year and 6 months to 2 years and 2 months.