Foa's red colobus


Foa's red colobus or the Central African red colobus, is a species of red colobus monkey found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Taxonomy

Several other species of red colobus were formerly considered subspecies of Piliocolobus foai by at least some authors but have since been elevated to full species. These include:
There is some speculation that Foa's red colobus is made of two formerly separate species, one originally from highlands and the other originally from lowlands, which interbred into a single species.

Distribution

Foa's red colobus is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between the Lualaba, Lowa and Oso Rivers.

Description

Foa's red colobus has long red and black fur on its back and head, with light underparts. Males have a body length excluding tail of between with a tail that is between long. Males typically weigh between and females typically weigh between. It has smaller teeth than most other red colobus species.

Behavior

Foa's red colobus is arboreal and diurnal. It has a varied diet which includes leaves, buds, fruit and flowers. It is frequently hunted for bushmeat.