Mandrill Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum Common Name: Mandrill Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Cercopithecidae Genus: Mandrillus Species: leucophaeus Museum Location: African Savannah Diorama Description: Males can grow to be twice the size of females. Males average a weight of 55 pounds and females weigh only about 25 pounds. They are an olive brown color in both sexes, with a pale underside and a bare black face that has an extended muzzle with prominent ridges along each side. The males have more colorful rumps than the females; their rumps are a bright red due to the increased density of blood vessels located there. In the adult male, the face, which is deeply grooved, is scarlet in the central area and bluest on the sides. Habitat and Range: Mandrills are found in the lowland, coastal, and riverine forests of Cameroon only. Diet: They are omnivorous, relying on fruit, leaves, and invertebrates (mostly termites) as food sources. Behavior: Mandrills (the female is known as the DRILL) form troops of about 20 individuals, consisting of a dominant male, related females, and their offspring. These animals are active during the day. This is a ground-based monkey, only retreating into the trees to protect or defend themselves or to sleep at night. Communication: Vocal communication is important to mandrills; it keeps the troop together in dense forest. Two distinct grunt calls have been identified, and screams are also used. Tactile communication, in the form of social grooming, maintains social bonds. Mandrills possess scent glands on the chest that are used for marking branches (chemical communication). Reproduction: Drills breed annually. Their gestation period lasts 168-179 days, after which 1 young is born. Female young will remain with the natal group, and males will join a new group once they reach maturity. A single offspring is carried about by its mother by clinging to her back or belly. Species Status: These primates are considered endangered; there are only about 50 of them in zoos worldwide and only about 3,000 left in the wild in three remaining populations. Interesting Facts: Their maximum lifespan is 46 years of age. "Mandrill" is actually two words: "Man" simply means "man-like," while "drill" is a West Africa name for the animal. By Suzy Bartoz & updated by Aziz M. Alam