Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
Image credit: © David Schenfeld from Flickr. Some rights reserved.
| Taxonomy | Physical Characteristics |
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Describer (Date): Cuvier (1821) Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Cercopithecidae Subfamily: Cercopithecinae Genus: Chlorocebus Species: Chlorocebus pygerythrus * Subspecies: C. p. excubitor and others within the same genus. Green, grivet, malbrouck, and tantalus monkeys have been referred to as vervets by some. |
Body Weight: Male: 3.9-8.0 kg (8.6-18 lb) Female: 3.4-5.3 kg (7.5-12 lb) Head & Body Length: Male: c. 490 mm (19 in) Female: c. 446 mm (18 in) Tail Length: Male: 600-750 mm (24-30 in) Female: 485-653 mm (19-26 in) Pelage: Back and sides are mottled combinations of light brown, grayish-brown, tawny, olive-brown, olive-green, or brownish-yellow; belly and inner limbs are white or off-white. Face black and ringed in white fur. Feet and hands black, though more pronounced in adult males. |
| Distribution & Status | Behavior & Ecology |
| Range: Endemic to eastern and southern Africa. Habitat: Found in savanna, open woodland, and forest-grassland mosaic. Commonly associated with water and Acacia trees. Extremely adaptable and found in urban areas. IUCN Status: Least Concern (2022 assessment) CITES Status: Appendix II |
Locomotion: Walk slowly to forage for food. Run quickly and scale trees to escape predators. Leap through trees, ricocheting off branches during inter- group encounters Activity Cycle: Diurnal monkeys, leave sleeping trees near sunrise for daily foraging trips. Rest near mid-day and visit watering locations. Spend most of of the day eating. Social Groups: Live in heterosexual groups; composed of 2 or more females, their offspring, and multiple males. Numbers range from 7-53, though typically with fewer than 40 individuals. Linear dominance hierarchies exist within each sex. Diet: Omnivores who principally consume plant products. Many populations rely heavily on the leaves, thorns, flowers, pods and peas, gum, bark, and wood of Acacia trees. Predators: Medium to large mammalian carnivores and eagles; particularly leopards, African Crowned Eagle, and Martial Eagle. Predator specific alarm calls warn group members of potential harm. |
| Reproduction & Development | Species Highlights |
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Sexual Maturity: Females first reproduce at 4-6 Age at Weaning: Complete by c. 18 months |
Feature Facts
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© 2014-2020 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. IUCN Status updated Oct 2020.
How to cite: Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) Fact Sheet. c2014-2020. San Diego (CA): San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; [accessed YYYY Mmm dd]. http://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/vervet.
(note: replace YYYY Mmm dd with date accessed, e.g., 2014 Sep 15)
Disclaimer: Although San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance makes every attempt to provide accurate information, some of the facts provided may become outdated or replaced by new research findings. Questions and comments may be addressed to library@sdzwa.org.
We wish to thank Prof. Peter Henzi for providing content review of this fact sheet.
Prof. Henzi is an expert in primate sociality and cognition and conducts field research with baboons and vervet monkeys in southern Africa.
Prof. Henzi is currently a faculty member of the Psychology Department at the University of Lethbridge, and is also a Honorary Research Professor at the University of South Africa.
