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News: Scientists have identified a bright Orange-mouthed Monkey found in Africa, as a new species.
About Orange-Mouthed Monkey
- It belongs to the larger group of colobus monkeys.
- Scientific name: Its scientific name is Colobus congoensis.
- It is locally known as the ‘Likweli’.
- It was first discovered in 2008.
- Habitat: It is largely confined to high, closed-canopy upland forests growing on deep clay soils.
- Distribution: It lives in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
- It was identified in the remote interfluve (between rivers) region between the Lomami and Congo (Lualaba) rivers in the DRC in 2008.
- Characteristics:
- It is smaller in size than Black bearded saki and most other species of the Colobus genus.
- It has a black face with a distinctive orange-cream patch around the mouth, the philtrum (the groove between the nose and upper lip), and the lower sides of the nostrils.
- It has a white patch around the anal region, which is an important identifying feature.
- In males, the white perianal patch is covered with fine white hairs. In females, the white perianal patch is hairless (glabrous).
- It does not have thumbs.
- Diet: It primarily feeds on leaves, shoots, and seedlings
- Behaviour: It is quiet and cryptic.
- It is often seen moving in mixed-species groups with up to six different types of primates.
- It is also known for their rapid, pulse-like roaring calls, which can be distinguished from other species by a distinctive snort produced between roar sequences.
- Threat: It faces rising threats from hunting pressure and habitat conversion as human populations in the DRC grow.
- Conservation status: Scientists propose listing it as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
