iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 10h

Primate Profile #102: Goeldi's Marmoset Unlike most other primates, almost 30% of the Goeldi monkey's diet is made up fungi, mostly during the dry season. This may be a strategy to reduce feeding competition with other species. In the wet season, they switch to fruits. Image: @jgrogers (iNat.org)

Goeldi's monkey on a branch looking back towards the camera over its shoulder. These monkeys are very small, with dense fur which is usually black all over. They have very dense fur around the head, and somewhat upturned noses.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Primate Profile #101: Purple-faced langur The calls of this langur have been described as similar to a leopard roaring, and are mostly made when defending their territory from other groups, but also to warn of predators or attract mates. Image: N Hobgood (iNat.org) @amphibiologist.bsky.social

Purple-faced langur sat on a branch, facing the camera but not looking at it. Unlike their name suggests, their faces are more dark brown or grey than purple, but surrounded by long white sideburns and beard that double the apparent width of their head. The rest of their fur is grey.

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Bat Conservation International 🦇 @batcon.org · 07/10/2026

Don't let the scariest part of Halloween be the impact your decor has on wildlife 🕸️ Stretchy artificial webs can pose real dangers to bats, birds, and more. Unlike real spiderwebs, artificial webbing doesn’t break easily, meaning bats and birds are easily tangled up in the strands. 📸 Dick Wilkins

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Cornish Jackdaw Project @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

New paper led by @lucahahn.bsky.social! Jackdaw partners coordinate & accept short-term costs to stay together. Relationships promote access to food & info. @uniexecec.bsky.social @shoalgroup.bsky.social @guillmcivor.bsky.social @royalsocietypublishing.org @swbiodtp.bsky.social tinyurl.com/rrv483hb

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I've made it to my 100th Primate of the Day! Could it really be anything else when I hadn't yet covered these guys...??

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Primate Profile #100: Proboscis monkey Arguably the weirdest monkeys on the planet: multi-chambered stomachs and chewing cud allow cellulose digestion; webbed fingers and toes make them excellent swimmers; and they choose mates by nose size! Images: J van der Meulen, W Yau & S de Win (iNat.org)

Adult male in a tree alarm calling. Proboscis monkeys are orange on most of the body, with grey forearms and legs. Their distinguishing feature is the nose: males have a large flabby nose that hangs over the top of their mouth. The face is framed by large white cheek pouches to make their head and shoulders look bigger. They have very large pot bellies, containing their multi-chambered stomachs.

2 female proboscis monkeys, apparently playing (though I'll admit I don't actually know what they're doing), stood on their back feet nose to nose. Unlike male proboscis monkeys, females have noses which are still long, but upturned like snouts rather then hanging down like a floppy potato.

A female proboscis monkey mid-free-fall (probably between trees, but could be leaping into water -- there is no visible background to tell), with an infant clinging to her neck. She has spread out all 4 limbs to slow her descent, and her tail is streaming out above her.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Male Hamadryas baboons share the same reflectance spectrum as moonlight, potentially explaining why Thoth, Egyptian God of the Moon, has a baboon form! Also apparently that makes them shinier than officially the shiniest monkey!

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Talking Climate Collaborative @tccollab.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Our survey of climate communicators found many work in isolation, with few connections beyond their fields. We're here to help change that.⁣ ⁣ Watch our @wedonthavetime.wsocial.eu conversation:⁣ youtu.be/4KI64HDmG9s⁣ ⁣ So let us know: Who do you want to connect with? Tag them in your reply!

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Primate Profile #99: Bouvier's Red Colobus A Lazarus taxon, these monkeys were believed extinct for 40 years before a pair of researchers found a population living in the Congo rainforest! They live in large multimale-multifemale groups in the forest canopy. Image: J van der Waarde (iNat.org)

Mother and infant red colobus in a tree. The mother is looking off into the canopy, while the infant clings to her belly and stares straight down at the camera.

These monkeys have long orange fur across most of their body, with a darker cap atop the black skin of their face. They have large white sideburns and beard. Their tail is long and orange. They have a dark stripe down the middle of their back, which fades to form as grey patch on the lower back.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Primate Profile #98: Bald Uakari Uakaris' red faces may be a sexual signal to females, as healthier males usually have brighter faces (there's no red pigment at all, just better blood flow!). Males however, are colour blind, so the signal doesn't work the other way! Image: @sea-kangaroo (iNat.org)

Bald uakari clinging vertically to a thin tree trunk. These are one of nature's weirdest looking monkeys. With long bright ginger fur all over, they are quite shaggy with a very fat and stumpy tail that doesn't look like it would be useful for anything at all. Most distinctively, in contrast to the rest of their body, they have absolutely no fur at all on their bright red head, making their heads look comically small. They have a small bristly white moustache on their upper lip, and round dark eyes.

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Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB) @crab-exeter.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Thank you to everyone who signed our open letter, who sent individual letters, and supported us in many other ways. We feel incredibly privileged to be part of such an active and strong scientific community and we've written you a letter to express our thanks and to give an update on the outcome 🧡🦀

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Again I couldn't resist a follow up, simply because I think the world needs to know that Gelada babies (along with most of the primate babies if we're honest) look like gremlins.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Primate Profile #97: Gelada Geladas are the only grazing-specialist primate, living on high-altitude grass plateaus. They have a multilevel society of one-male-multi-female and all-male units that together form bands of >200 individuals, and foraging groups of >1000. Image: N Brinkley (iNat.org)

Adult male gelada standing quadrupedally on short grass. Large terrestrial primates, they are broad shouldered, with shaggy brown fur, and a long tail with a heavy tuft of fur at the tip. Their feet and forearms are a dark chocolate brown. Adult males have a large mantle of long fur around their shoulders and head. Their faces are narrow, but with large jaws as their teeth are their most important weapon when fighting or defending themselves from potential predators. Males can turn their upper lip inside out to bare their teeth better (but it's not pretty when they do!). Also known as the "Bleeding heart monkey", both male and female geladas have a large triangular bare patch of bright red skin on their chest, and another on their throat.

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Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity @anthropocenebio.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

We're looking for a postdoc to work on biodiversity and land use modelling. You will adapt and develop an existing land use and food system modelling and decision-support tool to incorporate biodiversity and land use. Find out more and apply by 14 Oct: jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/post...

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Primate Profile #96: François' langur Living in limestone forest habitats, these langurs spend ~40% of their lives on rocks rather than in trees. They move through their habitat mostly using a combination of swinging and climbing, but up to 10% can be purely free-fall! Image: N Panda (iNat.org)

A mother and baby François' langur sitting in sparse brush. The mother has her arms around the juvenile. Both are looking at the camera, the baby with its mouth open.

These monkeys are black all over with a large triangular head crest, long tails with a tuft at the end, and large white sideburns down the sides of their face. The juvenile's sideburns have not yet turned fully white and are more of a dirty grey colour, while the black fur on top of the head is still brown. Infants are born bright orange, after which they fade to brown and then black as they age.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Primate Profile #95: Grivet Monkey The debate continues over if the Chlorocebus (Chloro = "green", cebus = "long-tailed monkey") genus are all separate species or subspecies of a single species. Hybrids can form, especially between Grivets and Vervets or Bale Monkeys. Image: V Trailin (iNat.org)

Mother and juvenile grivet monkey cuddled on a branch, while the juvenile suckles. Both are looking down at the camera. This juvenile is old enough to have developed adult pelage, but is still distinctly smaller than the mother.

These monkeys have long grey tails which match the fur on their arms, legs and sides. The fur fades from grey to an orangey brown on their back, with the brown colour strongest on top of the head. The fur on their chests and stomachs is white. They have black skin on their face, hands, feet and ears, creating a strong contrast against the large white cheek tufts that appear to double the width of their face. There is a thin bar of short white fur that separates the face from the brown cap.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I couldn't resist the second fun fact about these guys that I found: Formosan macaques have been reported to associate with muntjac deer, including an observation of a troop briefly grooming a muntjac, and a juvenile attempting to ride one! I'm very sorry I have no photo to back this up! 🐒🦌

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Primate Profile #94: Formosan Rock Macaque Macaques have a very varied diet, from plants (inc. crops) to birds to tadpoles. These monkeys process their food carefully such as by washing or, for caterpillars, removing stinging bristles by rubbing them between leaves. Video: @lin-chen-wen (iNat.org)

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Erin Biba @erinbiba.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

[banging on table] FAT BEAR WEEK FAT BEAR WEEK FAT BEAR WEEK FAT BEAR WEEK www.popsci.com/environment/...

popsci.com

The Fat Bear Week 2026 bracket is here and chunkier than ever

Voting starts September 22 with a final winner crowned on September 29.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Primate Profile #93: Muna-Buton Macaque Macaques are predominantly vegetarian. Confined to the islands of Muna and Buton, which are rapidly losing natural forest, these macaques are turning to crop-foraging, with up to 1/4 of their food coming from farms. Image: N Gunadharma (iNat.org)

Adult male Muna-Buton macaque standing in the forest undergrowth. He is very muscular, making him look quite bulky. They are mostly black or dark grey, but with paler legs and rump. They have almost no tail (only about an inch long). Their faces are black and shaped like an egg timer, with quite eyes that are fairly close together.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Primate Profile #92: Lang's Red Colobus This monkey has no information available after it was believed lost, having gone unobserved for 40 years (last seen 1980s), only for 1 individual to be found alive in 2020! Image: S Nash (via news.mongabay.com/2019/12/action-plan-for-red-colobus/)

A screenshot of a drawing of a Lang's red colobus by Stephen Nash, part of the Piliocolobus ID key.

These colobus monkeys have a black tail, body and hind legs, while their forelimbs and head are a deep reddish colour.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Primate Profile #91: Southern Muriqui Muriqui daily movements vary from ~0.6 to >5 km, travelling further in cold dry months. Females travel further than males, possibly due to higher nutritional requirements of reproduction creating greater foraging demands. Image: @biancaschiavinato (iNat.org)

Southern muriqui sat in the fork of a tree. It is amongst the branches so there are some slightly in front of it. It is using it's hands out on either side to grip other branches for support, and has wound the prehensile tail around an additional branch.

Woolly spider monkeys are fairly uniform in colour, with this one being particularly orange, while others are more buff in colour. Their faces are brown, and this particular individual has very pink lips, making it look like it has it's tongue sticking out, but I don't think that is a standard trait of the species! Being spider monkeys, they have very long arms and legs, and use their tail as an additional limb.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

As always, shout out to @neprimateconsrv.bsky.social for their awesome Primate Profiles series, including today's particularly fun Fun Fact about glacial melt driving species isolation and speciation! In other news: this baby monkey is in fact an orange Teletubby with a moustache. Enjoy.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Primate Profile #90: Cat Ba Langur Cat Ba langurs live exclusively in a small patch of an already-tiny island off the Vietnam coast, with a total population of ~80 monkeys. They were likely cut off from the mainland population by rising sea levels after the last ice age. Image: L Mai Sy (iNat.org)

2 adult langurs sitting on a cliff face above the forest. The right-hand langur has a baby clinging to her chest.

These langurs are a dark chocolate brown over most of their body, darkest at their ankles and wrists. Their tails are long and also very dark brown. In contrast, their head and the tops of the shoulders are a dirty buff colour, almost orange in places, and forming a triangular crest on top of their heads. Their skin is black, visible on the face, ears, hands and feet.

The baby has a completely different colouration to the adults. Baby langurs are a vibrant orange all over, and their tails are much shorter and thicker relative to their body than the adults' tails. As they age, the fur darkens, starting on the back and spreading over the rest of their body, such that juveniles will have a brown body but still have an orange head, tail, arms, legs and stomach.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Primate Profile #89: Western Red Colobus Leaves and unripe fruit comprise the majority of these monkeys' diet, while ripe fruit tends to cause digestive problems. Some of the leaves they eat contain cyanide, so they eat charcoal or clay to neutralise the toxins. Image: J van der Meulen (iNat.org)

Temminck's subspecies of Western Red Colobus monkey. It is standing on a branch that sticks out directly away from the camera behind the tree trunk, so the monkey appears to be doing an incredible job of horizontally clinging to a vertical tree trunk. It is looking left, with the long tail arcing down behind it.

The monkeys have a grey dorsal side, a white stomach and chest, and bright orange sides. The face, cap and shoulders are dark grey, fading to lighter grey at the lower back, hips and tail base. The neck, chin, limbs and sides are orange, as is the long tail, which fades to a darker orange at the tip.

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Tay (Antonio J. Osuna Mascaró) @biotay.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

1/3 Raccoon toys Researchers have documented two young pygmy raccoon sisters that soaked pieces of paper in water and shaped them into balls to play with. Across 14 documented attempts, they successfully produced 8 balls (Cozumel, Mexico) (paper) www.mdpi.com/3042-4526/3/...

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Primate Profile #88: Humboldt's Squirrel Monkey Squirrel monkeys are also known as "Death's head monkeys" because the patterns around their face can resemble a skull. Personally I prefer "squirrel monkey" for the way they jump through the canopy: a much cuter description! Image: C Rappa (iNat.org)

Squirrel monkey balanced on a diagonal branch. They are predominantly grey, but with yellow legs. Their facial skin is pink apart from the muzzle which is dark grey around the nose and mouth. They have large very round black eyes.

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Liam U. Taylor @liamtaylor.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I asked undergrad field techs to do a simple task, which was record when storm-petrels in our long-term study site had damage. The following is a partial list of the codes they used to indicate 'no damage'

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Primate Profile #87: Guianan Weeper Capuchin As with many monkeys, grooming aids social bond formation, with young females often grooming adults as a means to enter the adult social group. The greatest benefits likely come from grooming those of similar rank. Image: C Charlesworth (iNat.org)

A young weeper capuchin in a tree. It is standing quadrupedally and facing the camera. They have uniformly brown bodies, with a paler head and shoulders. Their faces are pink and ringed with cream coloured fur. Atop their head is the classic dark brown cap which gives the capuchin it's name.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Primate Profile #86: Ashy Red Colobus Despite a large remaining population, these monkeys are classed as Endangered due to fragmented populations and declining habitat availability. In remaining strongholds, the major threat is severe predation... by chimpanzees! 🙊 Image: sitszasadam (iNat.org)

Mother red colobus sat on a branch with her infant clinging to her belly. These monkeys have a dark brown back with pale brown legs and chest. Their face is also dark, with a paler beard. They have a bright reddish orange cap on top of their head. Adult males are much larger than females, but no other monkeys are visible in this image.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Primate Profile #85: Coimbra-Filho's Titi These little monkeys are predominantly frugivorous, with the occasional insect thrown in...or bird! They are the only titis recorded eating birds (others may do it & we just don't know), after a male was seen predating nestlings. Image: T Garcez (iNat.org)

2 Coimbra's titi monkeys sat on a branch, facing the camera with their tails hanging down. They have grey shaggy fur on most of their body, fading to chestnut brown on the tail. The face is distinctively much darker and with shorter fur than the rest of the body.

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Dr Alessio Veneziano @aveneziano.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Humans should be terrified, humans should be enraged, I know I am 🧪 #science #climate

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Michael Reichert @reichertfroglab.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I'm recruiting new grad students for fall 2027, looking for students motivated by animal behavior and animal communication. Our main study system is acoustic communication in treefrogs. More details here, please spread the word: reichertlab.com/2026/09/07/r...

reichertlab.com

Recruiting grad students for fall 2027

The Reichert Lab in the Department of Biology at Oklahoma State University is recruiting 1-2 graduate students (MS or PhD) for Fall 2027. Our lab does integrative research in animal communication a…

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Primate Profile #84: Schneider's Marmoset In primates, colour vision genes are carried on the X chromosome, so red-green dichromatism ("colour blindness") is more common in males. In marmosets, almost all males are dichromatic, while females are trichromatic. Image: J Kempler & A Goldby (iNat.org)

Marmoset clinging to the slide of a branch sitting upright looking towards the camera. It has been caught with mouth open in what looks like a very excited grin, though I don't know the true meaning of this expression! The tail is hidden from view.

Schneider's marmosets are cream coloured across most of the body, fading to an orangey-buff towards the rear end. The have a black cap on the head and long black tail. Their ears are bald and rounded, and their face is a pale pink. Because of their diet of tree exudates and life in the trees, marmosets have claws on their large feet, rather than finger nails.

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Cri 🕊🐝🐜📝🎭⚽😷 @crawlieswithcri.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Look, every day should be #VultureAwarenessDay! Really...Vulture Appreciation Day! They do the dirty work and look ab fab doing it! #birds #InternationalVultureAwarenessDay #becurious

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Primate Profile #83: Crested Capuchin These monkeys are omnivorous, eating both vegetable matter and small animals. They will sometimes open hard fruits by pounding them against tree branches to crack the skin. Image: C Meyer (iNat.org)

Crested capuchin eating a large piece of fruit. It is holding part of the skin of the fruit -- which appears would have been a similar size to the monkey when whole -- and licking the inside. The particular freeze of the camera makes it look like a naughty child who has just frozen mid bite of a cake that they weren't supposed to have.

These monkeys have mid-length very dense fur, which is brown on most of their body but fades to black on the tail, limbs and head. This individual is paler than most, and may be a juvenile. The fur on their head often forms a triangular crest, giving them the name. They have small faces, with very round little eyes.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Primate Profile #82: Golden-handed Tamarin These tiny gremlins are very adaptable and may even be increasing in number. They love fruit, but also flowers, gums, insects and small vertebrates. They are territorial, especially against pied tamarins that share their range. Image: N Verneau (iNat.org)

Golden-handed tamarin clinging to a vertical stick. They have black bodies, with strikingly orange hands and feet, in sharp contrast to the rest of them. Their ears are very large, giving them their gremlin-esque appearance.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Primate Profile #81: Colombian white-faced capuchin Among the strangest of all primate behaviours is that of "eye-poking": these capuchins will push a finger up to the knuckle into the eye socket of other group members, thought to be as a means of forming trust bonds Video: @savimbo.com (iNat.org)

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Primate Profile #80: Allen's Swamp Monkey These monkeys come closer to being aquatic than any other primate. They have partially-webbed fingers and toes, and will sometimes escape predators by leaping directly into the water. They also sometimes catch fish and shrimps! Image: D Violette (iNat.org)

Juvenile Allen's Swamp Monkey sitting on a tree branch. The tail is not visible behind the branch. The monkey is facing directly towards the camera.

The fur on the body is a slightly dappled olive brown, with a paler yellowish underside. The face is slightly darker, and very round. They have a small nose and small round eyes. The chin is very pale. In general it seems their colour patterning can be quite variable.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Possibly the prettiest and most photogenic monkeys in the World in my opinion! Sadly, they are also critically endangered due to habitat fragmentation and hunting for traditional medicines and their meat. Image: @the_taxanaut (iNat.org)

Red-shanked douc sat on a branch. These monkeys are very colourful, with orange faces, white beards, black hands and feet, a body that fades with black to grey to white back to grey and back to black again, and deep rust coloured legs and chest.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Primate Profile #79: Red-shanked Douc Individuals live in groups, but these groups will sometimes travel and forage together in bands of 50 or more monkeys. Doucs are also known as "snub nosed langurs" for their extremely small (relative to most monkeys) noses. Image: P Carter (iNat.org)

A family of red-shanked douc langurs sat on a branch. The baby is sat between the legs of the female, while the male is to their left, partially hidden by leaves. The male is larger than the female, and looking towards her, while the female and baby are looking directly at the camera.

These monkeys are proportioned approximately like long-limbed humans (at least to my eye) and are very colourful. Their lower legs are rust-coloured, giving them the name red-shanked, fading to black by the pelvis. They have a bib of the same rust colour which again fades to black at the shoulders. In between, their stomach, lower back and forelimbs are grey, with their hands very pale. The back of the head is also grey, but the forehead is again black. The skin of their face is an orangey-pink, with a pale yellow muzzle and large black almond-shaped eyes. Their nose is very small, almost more just nostrils than a nose. Their face is surrounded by a long wispy white beard and sideburns. The baby is very similar, but the colour differentiation is less pronounced and the facial skin is dark grey.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Primate Profile #78: Hernández-Camacho's Owl Monkey We know so little about this night monkey, that we aren't even sure it's active at night (but the rest are almost entirely nocturnal so we can guess)! Probably arboreal...? It also may be the same as a Brumback's, so please re-enjoy this picture:

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Michael Erard @michaelerard.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Perhaps AI will be the grit that makes the pearl: making institutions articulate, for the first time in decades if not ever, what the hell they’re about and what an education is supposed to be for. (This from the MIT committee‘s report on AI)

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Primate Profile #77: Red-Mantle Saddle-Back Tamarin We know almost nothing of these little cuties. We know they can be territorial against neighbouring groups but also sometimes interact peacefully. Why are only some groups tolerable? Only they know! Image: @stewartmaclean.bsky.social (iNat.org)

2 tamarins sat on a branch in the rain. The left monkey is half stood vertically to groom the head of the right monkey, while the right is more hunkered down and looking at the camera. The right hand monkey has rather a grumpy-looking expression. It is raining.

These monkeys have pale grey faces surrounded by very dark brown fur that covers their forehead, cheeks and chins. Their tails are the same dark brown colour. Their legs, chests and upper backs are a vibrant chestnut red colour, while their lower backs (the saddle) are striped black and pale orange (which here merges to an overall dull olive brown, thanks to the rain).

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Zoë Goldsborough @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

On Jicarón, where tool use is male-exclusive and the capuchins are less socially cohesive, these rare moments of social attention may carry a lot of weight. Since especially very young juveniles paid attention, social learning might be an important catalyst to first acquire the behavior. (10/10)

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Primate Profile #76: Stephen Nash's Titi Monkey Stephen Nash is the only modern artist to have a primate named for him. Inspired by cotton-top tamarins at the zoo, his illustrations are now the "taxonomic gold standard" in primate ID. Image: S Nash (van Roosmalen et al. 2002, Neotropical Primates)

Illustration of Stephen Nash's titi monkey, drawn by scientific illustrator Stephen Nash himself.

These monkeys are brown in the body, wit ha long white tail, a black forehead, red legs, and a red chin and cheeks. All of their fur is long and dense.

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Helen Mylne @helephantmylne.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Primate Profile #75: Mt Kilimanjaro Colobus These monkeys are important ecosystem engineers, consuming plant seeds and carrying them far from the parent tree, increasing the likelihood of germination. They also eat young leaves, encouraging trees to be more productive. Image: A Konings (iNat.org)

Mt Kilimanjaro Colobus monkey on a branch. It is standing quadrupedally, but with back legs bent so almost in a stretched-out sitting position. The tail is hanging down.

These monkeys have black bodies but with long tufts of white fur all down their sides which meet at the rump. The tail is like a very large white feather duster, with very long fur that has a much higher proportion of white than most other black and white colobus monkeys. Their faces are grey and surrounded by white fur, with a large black cap on top of the head.

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