# Moustached Monkey (*Cercopithecus cephus*) Moustached monkeys are playful and curious creatures with long tails and a unique mustache! They love to swing through trees and are often found in groups, making them fun to watch. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Moustached Monkey](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cercopithecus_cephus.JPG&width=800) Photo: Peggy Motsch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cercopithecus_cephus.JPG) ## Appearance The Moustached Monkey has a greenish-brown body with a distinctive white crescent-shaped 'mustache' above its dark muzzle. It also features a white stripe on its thighs, making it easily recognizable in the forest canopy. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Primates - **Family:** Cercopithecidae - **Genus:** Cercopithecus ## Interesting facts - Males often have brighter blue scrota, which signals their health to females. - These monkeys can live in large family groups with up to 30 members! - They use specific alarm calls, sounding different for eagles versus leopards. - Young Moustached Monkeys learn vital jungle survival skills by watching their elders. ## Special abilities - **Branch Acrobatics:** Moustached Monkey can leap great distances between trees thanks to its strong limbs and agile body. - **Forest Communicator:** Moustached Monkey uses a variety of calls to warn its group of danger or find family members. - **Sharp Eyesight:** Moustached Monkey has excellent binocular vision that helps it spot tiny fruits and insects in dense foliage. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 40-50 cm - **Weight:** 3-5 kg - **Lifespan:** 18-22 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 160-170 days ## Diet & Feeding These monkeys enjoy a varied menu of fruits, leaves, and tasty insects from the forest. - **Primary Foods:** fruits, leaves, seeds, insects, flowers - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Leopard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard) (*Panthera pardus*) — A primary predator of monkeys in its habitat. - **Eaten by:** [Crowned Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crowned-eagle) (*Stephanoaetus coronatus*) — A powerful bird of prey hunting monkeys from above. - **Eats:** Sandpaper Fig (*Ficus exasperata*) — Helps disperse seeds of fig trees throughout the forest. ## 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. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [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 monkeys from a distance and never try to feed them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Moustached Monkey? 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 Moustached Monkey? 40-50 cm ### How much does Moustached Monkey weigh? 3-5 kg ### How long does Moustached Monkey live? 18-22 years ### How fast can Moustached Monkey move? 35 km/h ### What does Moustached Monkey eat? These monkeys enjoy a varied menu of fruits, leaves, and tasty insects from the forest. ### Where is Moustached Monkey usually found? Forests ### How does Moustached Monkey 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*) --- Source: [Moustached Monkey: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/moustached-monkey)