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Their ruminant digestive systems allow Colobus to eat a wider variety of foods. In times of small food availability, they can digestive mature leaves that other primate do not eat.
photo: Don Cohen
Characteristics: There are several different subspecies of colobus monkey. These are the most arboreal group. This group has a unique digestive system. Black and white colobus are 12-28 inches long, and males weigh about 26 lbs.
Diet: Like many ungulates such as the Impala, they have a large stomach with many compartments and bacteria. These are called ruminant stomachs, and they ferment food as is slowly passes through the digestive system. Their ruminant digestive systems allow Colobus to eat a wider variety of foods. In times of small food availability, they can digestive mature leaves that other primate do not eat.
Reproduction: Most births occur during the rainy season. Females typically give birth to one offspring that with a white coat. As the juvenile matures, their faces will darken and they develop the characteristics black and white coat. Females are sexually mature at two years of age, while males are not mature until about age four.
Environmental Connections: Colobus prefer forested areas in the equatorial regions of Africa. They inhabit a small, well-defined home range and can adapt to a wide variety of habitats including rainforest, bamboo thickets, secondary woodlands and deserts.
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