Russian
English
Vervet monkey(Chlorocebus pygerythrus, orCercopithecus pygerythrus)
Phylum —chordata
Class — mammalia
Order — primates
Family — cercopithecidae
Genus –chlorocebus
Appearance
The Vervet monkey very much resembles a Gray langur, having a black face with a white fringe of hair, while the overall hair color is mostly grizzled-grey.
The species exhibits sexual dimorphism; the males are larger in weight and body length. Adult males weigh between 3.9 and 8.0 kg (8.6 and 17.6 lb), averaging 5.5 kg (12 lb), and have a body length between 420 and 600 mm (17 and 24 in), averaging 490 mm (19 in) from the top of the head to the base of the tail. Adult females weigh between 3.4 and 5.3 kg (7.5 and 11.7 lb) and average 4.1 kg (9.0 lb), and measure between 300 and 495 mm (11.8 and 19.5 in), averaging 426 mm (16.8 in).
Habitat
This monkey lives south of the Sahara and across Eastern Africa it is widespread. It is also found in western and southern Africa from Ghana to Uganda.
Behavior
The Vervet is an arboreal monkey, spending most of its time in the trees where it is safe. Although these monkeys do venture to the ground looking for food and water, they rarely go more than 450 meters away from the trees, which are a protection from predators. These animals are diurnal and spend their days foraging, and then rest at night. They are very sociable animals, forming troops of between 10 and 50. The troops are made up of adult females with their young, while males wander between different troops both to socialize and mate.
Diet
The Vervet is omnivorous and consumes plant matter as well as other animals. Young shoots and leaves comprise most of their diet, as well as tree bark, fruits and flowers and fruits from the surrounding trees. On the ground they forage for roots, bulbs, grasses and seeds, and sometimes supplement their diet with, eggs, rodents, insects, birds and various small animals.
Reproduction
Vervet monkeys are polygynous, with females typically having few mates during their lifetime, while some males will have numerous mates. From about five years old they are able to reproduce. The mating season is between April and June. The gestation period is about five and a half months, and a single infant is born, whereupon it is cleaned by the mother. The baby clings to the mother’s stomach for about the first week. Vervet monkey babies soon develop strong social connections with other monkeys and begin to interact and play with them by as young as a month old. They suckle until nearly 4 months of age, when they begin eating softer vegetation, but are not weaned fully until about a year old.
Their lifespan is up to 12 years in the wild and 24 years in captivity.
In captivity
Vervet monkeys are very smart and sociable creatures, they have a lot in common with humans, but in no case should such a pet be allowed to walk around the house or apartment without human supervision. He is interested in everything, wants to touch everything and even see what is inside, so he breaks everything that comes to hand.
First of all, it is necessary to provide a fairly spacious and strong cage for the monkey, which is recommended to be made of strong wood, the front wall is usually made of metal rods. Connections bolts or screws are not allowed.
Suitable cell size 2x1, 5x1, 5 m. Monkeys usually lead a very active lifestyle, so the cage should have different devices for climbing. Most often, a trapeze is installed for monkeys, which is a wooden shelf attached with strong ropes or chains. You can install a pole with a movable wheel or hang a large ring made of metal or ebony from the ceiling. The best entertainment for your pet will be a mirror that is well nailed or glued, the frame for it must be made of solid wood. The mirror must be fixed motionless, otherwise a curious monkey can break it, and then swallow the fragments.
A monkey is not a very clean animal. Therefore, the bottom of the cage should be covered with a layer of dry sawdust, preferably spruce. For feeding monkeys, feeders are usually used, water is given in drinkers. These devices should not be kept in the cage all the time.
For keeping monkeys, in addition to cages, sometimes use aviaries or keep them in poles. This device is a pole where there is a horizontal platform used for walking and feeding the animal, as well as a place to sleep. This is probably the most cruel keeping of an animal, because in this case the monkey must always be on a leash. We recommend not to torment your pet, but still provide it with a good home. For example, aviaries are much more suitable for keeping monkeys. They are much more spacious than cells and they can have conditions that are closest to nature. To do this, the keeper should have the aviary with tree branches or plant various types of vegetation.
Periodically, your pet should be walked. To do this, they need to wear a belt with a leash. It can be made from a soft but strong leather belt that will wrap around the animal's body slightly below the shoulders. It is necessary to train the monkey to this belt since the very childhood and not to remove it even in the apartment.
Feed the monkeys twice a day, sometimes you can give them various fruits as rewards, but do not overuse this. Monkeys, like all primates, eat mainly plant food, preferring plant shoots, fruits, flowers and nuts. In addition to plant food, you can add small insects, worms, sometimes even shellfish and crabs. It is recommended to give them boiled rice with milk and a white bun soaked in milk, and you should also add fruit; some favor boiled potatoes and vegetables in general (tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets, boiled corn). For almost all monkeys, watermelon is a treat. Very quickly, monkeys get used to various exotic fruits, and if you give them often, they completely refuse other food, so bananas and oranges are recommended to be given quite rarely. Onions (contain vitamin C) are very useful for monkeys, but since it is very corrosive to the eyes, they make interesting grimaces before using it. Sometimes they should be given cereal and legume seeds.
The amount of feed is important. Monkeys are very fond of eating, often overeating. If the stomach is already full, they will fill the cheek bags, and if there is anything left, they will hide it in the most unpredictable places, and if there is no place to keep food it can be scattered in a cage or in an apartment.
