# grivet (*Chlorocebus aethiops*)

Grivets are playful monkeys with long tails and bright faces! They love to jump around in trees and are very social, often seen in groups having fun together.

- **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Savannas
- **Also known as:** Green Monkey

![grivet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/AwasaVervet.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Joe Castleman ( Gyrofrog ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AwasaVervet.jpg)

## Appearance

The grivet has a striking greyish-brown coat with a paler belly and a long tail. Its face is distinctly black, framed by white sideburns and a white brow band. Males are notable for their bright blue scrotum.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Primates
- **Family:** Cercopithecidae
- **Genus:** Chlorocebus

## Interesting facts

- Grivets use special cheek pouches to stuff food and eat it later!
- Male grivets show off bright blue private parts to attract a mate!
- These smart monkeys have been seen washing their food before eating it!
- They can tell their friends if a danger is a snake or a bird, just by a sound!

## Special abilities

- **Sharp Sight:** A grivet has excellent eyesight that helps them spot tiny insects and predators from afar.
- **Agile Leapers:** Grivets can leap between tree branches because of their strong legs, helping them escape danger quickly.
- **Alarm Calls:** Grivets use different alarm calls to warn their group about specific predators like eagles or snakes.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 40-60 cm
- **Weight:** 3-8 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-15 years
- **Speed:** 35 km/h
- **Litter Size:** 1-2
- **Gestation:** 160 days

## Diet & Feeding

Grivets eat a varied diet of fruits, leaves, and sometimes even small animals and insects.

- **Primary Foods:** Fruits, Leaves, Flowers, Insects, Bird eggs, Small vertebrates
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Leopard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard) (*Panthera pardus*) — Main predator in their habitat
- **Eaten by:** Martial Eagle (*Polemaetus bellicosus*) — Large bird of prey that hunts them
- **Eaten by:** African Rock Python (*Python sebae*) — Large snake that ambushes monkeys
- **Eats:** Sycamore Fig (*Ficus sycomorus*) — Eats fruits and leaves from this tree

## Traits

- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.
- [Savanna](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/savanna): This habitat trait denotes species native to savannas, which are grasslands with scattered trees, typically found in tropical or subtropical regions with distinct wet and dry seasons.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

## Collections

- [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Always watch from a distance and never try to touch wild animals like grivets.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify grivet?

Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is grivet?

40-60 cm

### How much does grivet weigh?

3-8 kg

### How long does grivet live?

10-15 years

### How fast can grivet move?

35 km/h

### What does grivet eat?

Grivets eat a varied diet of fruits, leaves, and sometimes even small animals and insects.

### Where is grivet usually found?

Savannas

### How does grivet hunt?

Foraging

## More Mammals

- [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*)
- [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*)
- [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*)
- [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*)

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Source: [Grivet: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/grivet)