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Cercopithecus sclateri
Sclater’s guenon is Nigeria’s only endemic primate species. It is
classified as Endangered by the IUCN and listed on Appendix II of CITES.
The species was originally described in 1904 (Pocock, 1904) and for many
years was considered a subspecies of the red eared guenon (Cercopithecus
erythrotis). It was eventually recognized by Kingdon (1980) as a
distinct species. It belongs to the Cercopithecus cephus
group, or superspecies, which also includes the red eared guenon.
Compared with other guenons, cephus species are generally
smaller, adaptable, and often colourful. This species is most often recognized
by its tail colouration: One-half to one-third of the underside proximal
side of the tail is bright rust-red.
The Sclater’s guenon is restricted to the rainforest zone between the Niger
and Cross Rivers in southern Nigeria (distribution
and range map). Its extent of occurrence is 28,500km2.
Much of the remaining forest throughout the species’ range comprises small,
often degraded forest fragments within a largely agricultural landscape;
swampy areas difficult to farm; or strips of forest along waterways. Three
populations of C. sclateri survive in mostly deforested communities
where the local human population regards this monkey as sacred. Although
they are not hunted in these sites, the monkeys' sacred status does not
necessarily guarantee their long term survival (read
more).
Humans are
currently the most important predator of C. sclateri. Hunting is
widespread across its range, and the species faces increasing forest loss
and degradation. At present, it does not occur in any officially protected
area. Nonetheless, there is hope for the future of this special primate, as
it has been able to persist in the human-dense region of southern Nigeria,
likely because of its small size, adaptability, cryptic nature, and general
non-preferred status among hunters relative to other monkeys (Baker
and Olubode, in press).
References
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