L’HOEST’S MONKEY

 The L’Hoests monkey, also known as mountain monkey is vague found in the upper eastern Congo basin. These types of monkeys mostly live in mountainous forest areas in small groups. The monkeys have a dark coat and a characteristic white beard.

Lhotse’s monkey is currently classified as a member of genus ,it  resembles a Hamlyn’s  monkey in size and distribution .Lhotse’s Monkey include the taxon from the Gulf of Guinea region as a subspecies, although its considered a separate species.

Physical characteristics

L’hoests has short, dark brown coat with a chestnut color across the back and a dark belly, its cheeks are light gray with pale moustache.

In body length its 12.5 to 27 inches with a 19 to 39 inch tail. The male weighs about 6 kilograms, while the smaller female weighs 3.5kilograms.The tail is long and hook-shaped at the end. They are born fully coated and with their eyes open.

Habitat and distribution

L’Hoests monkey occurs in northeastern parts of Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republican of the Congo and western part of Uganda. The L’Hoest is a forest Monkey; it’s typical of the primary forests. It will occupy a range of different kinds of forested areas, this includes gallery forest, and wooded savannah at mountain slopes, lowland rain forest and forest borders .However, and this will live on cultivated lands.

Behavior

L’Hoest lives in fairly small groups dominated by females and only a single male. The female are usually related, while the male stays only a couple of weeks or most a couple of years. The adult male will make very loud and distinct calls.

They are active during the day, early morning and late afternoon. They sleep in trees in a sitting position; they sleep well holding branches or each other. In case of any alarm they flee and take shelter in trees after they will become still.

Reproduction

L’Hoest’s Monkey breeds seasonally, depending on the area time. After five months of gestation period, the monkey will produce a single offspring .The mother gives birth at night in any direction where she happens to be at that time. Birth occurs at the end of the dry season, it occurs when the rainfall is at the highest peak. After the mother will eat the placenta and lick the baby clean, the baby will be hanging on the belly of the mother. Other females will try to hold the baby as a sign of much interest towards the new born child.

After few months nursing will become less frequent, but this will continue for a period of two years when there is new birth. The male young ones will live the group when they are sexually mature.

Life span

L’Hoests live   for 30years in captive

Diet

L’Hoests monkey is an herbivore animal and eats mostly fruits, herbs, mushrooms, leaves and roof. However, L’Hoests monkey eats lizards, Eat eggs and small birds.

L’Hoests   inhabits in different National parks in Uganda and they can be spotted out occasionally especially on primate works.

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