The largest monkey mandrill in the world.
Mandrill with colored face, the largest primate in the world, has a large and long head, with 1 bony processes on both sides of the nasal bone, and ridges arranged vertically on it, with grooves between them, green skin and bright red between the ridges. There are about six main grooves on each side of the male, and the red part extends around the nasal bone and snout. This colorful special pattern looks like a ghost, so it is called mandrill.
Introduction picture of the fiercest colorful mandrill
Mandrill has a strong body shape, with a body length of 61-76.4cm, a stubby tail of 5.2-7.6cm, and an average weight of1/0.5kg for females and 25kg for males. Mandrill has a ghostly face, a long face and a bright red nose, which makes this bright color more prominent than the surrounding dark color. There are deep longitudinal lines on both sides of the nose, a pinch of goatee under the chin, and the head is hidden in long hair. The hair on the body is brown, fluffy and dense; The ventral surface is yellowish brown with long and dense hair; The back is red, and so are the genitals; Hips are purple because they are rich in blood vessels, and the color will be more obvious when they are emotional. This is partly because female mandrills like it, and another reason is that it is easier for them to see the positions of other members when they walk in the dense forest. The facial color of female and underage mandrill is much darker than that of male. Bright colors help mandrills identify and communicate with each other in the dense jungle. The forelimbs are longer and stronger than the hind limbs, so the rear part leans downward when moving.
Why does the colorful mandrill turn blue?
An evolutionary biologist from Yale University and a mathematician from the University of Kansas observed the blue skin tissues of animals, including the cheeks of mandrill and some body parts of vervet monkeys, etc., and found that collagen fibers in the skin are regularly arranged in parallel, and collagen, as the main extracellular adhesion protein of the skin, can maintain the integrity and elasticity of the skin, and at the same time affect the color of the skin. Scientists have found the optical properties of these fibers with the same thickness, equal distance and parallel arrangement through calculation. They reflect a single wavelength of blue light, and other reflections cancel each other out, so the skin looks blue. If the distance between fibers increases, the blue color will become lighter. Therefore, the blue color of animal skin comes from the reflection effect formed by the regular arrangement of protein fibers, rather than aimless scattering.
Male mandrill is an endemic species in the tropical African rainforest, and its face is bright red and blue, which perfectly matches the striking colors of its hind legs and buttocks. The brighter the color of male mandrill's face, tail and vulva, the higher its status. A study in 2005 showed that the bright colors of these parts can sometimes help them avoid conflicts. In addition, female mandrills also prefer males with more gorgeous fur.
What is the life habit of colorful mandrill?
Feeding habits:
Mandrill is omnivorous and has a diversified diet. It usually eats plants, and there are more than 100 kinds of plants that can be eaten. It likes to eat fruits, but it also eats leaves, vines, bark, stems and fibers. It also eats mushrooms and soil. Most mandrills eat invertebrates, especially ants, beetles, termites, crickets, spiders, snails and scorpions; It also eats eggs, even birds such as vertebrates, turtles, frogs, porcupines, mice and shrews. If given the chance, Mandrill may also eat larger vertebrates.
Usually activities:
Mandrills are gregarious animals, with an average of more than 600 animals in each community, with more than 800 animals. The largest observed population exceeds 1300 mandrills, and there is a strict hierarchy, with a male mandrill as the head monkey. Head monkeys are usually brightly colored and have huge patterns. Most adult male mandrills live alone in the mountains, others have a small family, and the male leader leads several female mandrills to live with young mandrills. Female mandrills and small mandrills basically move under trees and don't like climbing. They spend most of their time on the ground and usually climb trees to rest only at night.
In addition to climbing trees when they are looking for food and avoiding danger, mandrills spend most of their time in the open areas of forests. Their running ability is very strong, reaching 40 kilometers per hour at the fastest, far exceeding that of macaques known for their agility. Sometimes mandrills will gather in large groups and go to the farming areas for food, which will bring huge losses to agriculture and be killed. However, due to the rampant poaching activities and the reduction of habitats, the survival of mandrills is facing great threats.
Fight:
Adult mandrills are violent, fierce and aggressive, and can fight with medium-sized beasts. The leading old male monkey is brave and aggressive, with long and sharp teeth, sharp claws and great arm strength, which is about three times that of ordinary adults. It is threatening to all kinds of enemies. Angry, even small leopards are in awe of them, and sometimes attack animals such as poisonous snakes. Mandrill's IQ is also quite high, comparable to that of baboons, and it is one of the smartest primates.