All about the savanna Patas Monkey, Uganda primate

The patas monkey has a white mane on both sides of its face. For the male, his mane is quite longer than that of the female. Actually, people call the Patas monkey the “Military monkey” because of its distinct appearance.

The male Patas is nearly twice the weight of the female, that is to say, 7-13kgs for the male and 4-7kgs for the female. The run-up to a speed of about 55km/h on the ground.

Patas monkeys live in fairly large groups of about 30 individuals, with usually one male present. One or two females take the lead in the group, and the adult male acts as the guard and lookout. They are so active during the day and rest during the hot hours.

However much they can climb high in trees, they are terrestrial. When Patas monkeys sense danger, they immediately use their impressive ground speed to escape; consequently, their swift movement is their primary defence.

They have a wide range of plant material and animal prey in their diet. Patas usually feed on leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, geckos, chameleons, bird eggs and so on. They mostly feed in the morning and evening hours.

Patas monkeys have a gestation period of about 167days. Young Patas cling to the female first as they gradually become independent. In Uganda, most Patas are born around February, whereas in other countries, such as Kenya, they are mostly born between June and September.

Lions, leopards, jackals, wild dogs, and pythons regularly hunt Patas monkeys; consequently, these primates must stay alert while they feed daily.

There are other species of monkeys here, and they, too, have different behaviours—for example, the vervet, black-and-white colobus, red colobus, and others.

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