Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus patas) Fact Sheet: Summary

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Infraclass: Eutheria

Order: Primates

Family: Cercopithecidae

Subfamily: Cercopithecinae

Genus: Erythrocebus

Species: Erythrocebus patas (Schreber, 1775) - patas monkey

Subspecies: E. p. patas
Subspecies: E. p. pyrrhonotus
Subspecies: E. p. villiersi

Body Weight:
Male: 7-13 kg (15-29 lb)
Female: 4-7 kg (9-15 lb)

Body Length:
Male: 60-87.5 cm (2-3 ft)
Female: 48-52 cm (1.6-1.7 ft)

Tail Length:
Male: 63-72 cm (2.1-2.4 ft)
Female: 48-55 cm (1.6-1.8 ft)

Pelage: Color variable. Back, flanks, and crown reddish-brown; underparts cream or white. Facial features used to distinguish subspecies, some with a white moustache.

Range: Tropical Africa; widespread below the Sahara Desert and north of the tropical belt. Nearly spans the continent, west to east. Introduced population in Puerto Rico.

Habitat: Open grassland, savanna, and woodland. Primarily terrestrial.

IUCN Status: Near Threatened (2020 assessment)

CITES Appendix: Appendix II

Other Designations: Class B, African Convention

Population in Wild: Numbers unknown. Commonly found in most of its range. Declines in southern geographic range; these populations may have been historic range extensions from previously drier times.

Locomotion: Quadrupedal; walk, lope, and run. Fastest primate; may run up to 55 km/hr (34 mi/hr). Climb and leap from trees. Pounce or leap vertically to catch insects.

Activity Cycle: Diurnal. May travel long distances in forage for food. Typically rest near mid-day. Sleep alone at night in trees.

Social Groups: Live in single male, multi-female groups most of the year. Extra-group males join during the breeding season.

Diet: Omnivores. Primarily consume plants; gum, flowers, and seeds make up a large part of the diet. Arthropods, especially grasshoppers and ants, are a dietary staple.

Predators: Few direct observations of predators killing patas. Canids, felids, spotted hyena, olive baboon, chimpanzee, and Martial Eagle.

Sexual Maturity: Males first reproduce c. 5 years, females c. 3 years; earliest onset of female reproduction of the cercopithecine monkeys.

Gestation: c. 23.8 weeks or 5.5 months

Litter Size: 1, most typically

Interbirth Interval: 12-14 months; c. 12 most often

Birth Weight: 504 g (c. 16 oz)

Age at Weaning: 3-5 months; first solid food c. 3 months

Typical Life Expectancy:
Wild populations: about 4.5-5 years, on average
Managed care: median life expectancy of about 15 years

Feature Facts

• Diurnal, mainly ground-dwelling monkey
• Long legs enable efficient travel
• Climb trees to sleep at night
• Live in single-male, multi-female groups during much of the year.
• Groups of 8-71 individuals travel within a large home range in search of food.
• Gum, thorns, flower and seeds of Acacia trees are a large component of the diet, though arthropods are commonly consumed.
• Male group leaders are peripheral to females and often sit on a high point, apart from others.
• Females begin reproducing c. 3 years of age, earlier than other cercopithecines; 1 offspring born per year thereafter. Males mature c. 5 years of age or once they join with a female to form a heterosexual group.