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Roloway Monkey

The Roloway monkey (Cercopithecus roloway) is an endangered species of Old World monkey endemic to tropical West Africa. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Diana monkey (C. diana). The species is classified as Critically Endangered due to habitat loss and their continued hunting because of the bushmeat trade. The Roloway monkey is mainly an arboreal species, for the most part inhabiting forests in Ghana and some reserves in South-Eastern Côte-D'Ivoire. More specifically, studies have shown that the C. diana roloway is primarily concentrated in the Tanoé forest of the Côte-D'Ivoire because of their heavy threats to extinction and lack of habitat. It is still difficult to gather data on wild subjects, but they are a unique and vanishing species.

Roloway monkey
Baby Roloway Monkey in Captivity Image of an adult Roloway monkey
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Family:	Cercopithecidae
Genus:	Cercopithecus
Species:	C. roloway
Binomial Name
Cercopithecus roloway
Synonyms
Cercopithecus diana ssp. roloway Simia roloway
Common Names
English:	Roloway Monkey, Roloway Guenon
French:	Cercopithèque Roloway
Spanish:	Cercopiteco Roloway

Taxonomy

Both the Cercopithecus diana and the cercopithecus roloway were originally categorized under the well known species group: diana. This categorization meant that the two monkeys were related subspecies. This classification, related species from one another, changed in 2005, when each monkey was to be considered its own species, and treated as such. This differing classification is beneficial to each species in relation to conservation efforts and justifications for necessity of conservation. It can be challenging to find funding for extreme conservation efforts, and when the Cercopithecus diana and the cercopithecus roloway were considered related subspecies, the urgency for conservation may not have been as great. Individuals can find themselves more willing to support conservation of a unique species rather than a subspecies.

Description

The Roloway monkey is a species of guenon monkeys, in fact, they are the largest of all of the 26 African Cercopithecus genus Of the cercopithecus genus, the Roloway monkey is most similar to the Cercopithecus diana. Both of these monkeys share similar physical features as well. They both have dark fur surrounding a majority of their body, with a dark brown-reddish patch on their lower back. The Roloway monkey has a prominent white beard resting under its black chin, and above its dark eyes is a horizontal white stripe of fur, resting directly on its brow bone. Its face is a dark black, accentuated by the bright white fur surrounding it. The Roloway monkey has a relatively flat skull, and unlike many other primates, it does not have an elongated chin cavity, also referred to as a rostrum. In addition, the nostrils of the monkey are closely set and they angle downwards. Its chest, and throat are bright white, and the monkey has white line of fur that runs along each outer-thigh. On the inside of the thighs, the fur can range from being white, red, brown, or even yellowish. They have exceptionally long tails, longer than the entirety of their body. There are not many body measurements of the adult Roloway monkey, but through analysis and comparison with the Diana species, it is estimated that the Roloway Monkey has a body length that ranges from 40cm to 55 cm, and the tails of the monkey range from 50cm to 75 cm long. Its weight is between 4kg and 7 kg, or between about 9 pounds to about 15 pounds. The Roloway monkey has a distinct cheek pouch, something that it shares with all cercopithecus monkeys. This patch allows the monkey to store food such as fruits, nuts and seeds, which are the majority of their diet as they are omnivorous primates. The Cercopithecinae monkey all have opposable thumbs, which are quite well-developed and the Roloway also have fingernails on all of their fingers.

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in a small area of eastern Ivory Coast and the forests of Ghana, between the Sassandra and Pra Rivers. It may possibly occur in Burkina Faso and Togo. It inhabits the canopy of old-growth forests, including gallery forests, in moist-low-lying regions, and avoids but can make use of forests that have been lightly logged.[5] Even when studies were performed where scientists stayed in the area where the monkeys were typically found, the Roloway monkey was only spotted on one occasion. In addition to this, most of the Roloway monkey found are taken to zoos to be kept and observed. This is because their population is so low and there are so few seen in the wild, so anything is being done to conserve the populations of the animals.

Predation

The Roloway monkey does not often employ its "fight" instinct, rather it chooses to flee.

Conservation

Human Impact

The Roloway monkey has been classified as an endangered species by the IUCN due to rapid population declines over the last few decades (50-80%), mostly driven by habitat loss and hunting. This species is among the most threatened primates on the African continent, although exact figures for the species are not available. Recent surveys could not find evidence of it in Ghana's Bia National Park, where it was probably eliminated between the mid-1970s and 1990.

The old-growth forest habitat required by the species continues to be reduced by large-scale deforestation through logging and agricultural conversion. In addition to predation by natural enemies such as crowned eagles, leopards, and chimpanzees, roloway monkeys are also frequent targets of human hunting for the bushmeat trade. Over 800 tons of bushmeat are sold in Ghana's markets every year. The Roloway monkeys’ conspicuous colors and loud calls make them very susceptible to hunting. Their habitat is also becoming increasingly fragmented due to a decline in forest habitats and deforestation as human settlements expand and farming increases. In the past 100 years, Ghana has lost 80% of its forested lands. The species is listed as one of "The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates". In fact, it is estimated that there are only around 2,000 living individuals, and their population will continue to decline because of how highly hunters value their quality meat. Roloway monkeys are on the brink of extinction not only because of hunting but because of human expansion. The ones expansive forest they inhabited continues to shrink as roadways and transportations areas expand. In addition, much of the forest is being used for farming purposes, making the land inhabitable for the monkey.

The Roloway monkey cannot live in areas where humans have had a large impact, therefore they only live in secluded, primary forests. Primary forests are ones that have not been majorly affected, and they are quite old and full of unique attributions that can allow for populations of animals and plants to be more stable in the long term. The monkeys' instinct to flee combined with the areas they choose to live in, make it very hard to study them or gather any new information on the changes in their population size or behavior. There is still a lot that can be discovered about the lifestyle of the wild Roloway monkey, as it cannot be guaranteed that those in captivity behave in the same manners. In addition, there is not a large enough group size in captivity to get accurate research data from.

Predation[edit]

An African Leopard: One of the Roloway Monkey's predators

The Roloway monkey does not often employ its "fight" instinct, rather it chooses to flee.

Reproduction

The species is polygynous, meaning one male will mate with multiple females. These females will stay with the male, and he will often act as a "leader" in the group. This is typical to most primate behavior. Females give birth typically to one young at a time, after a gestation period around 5 months. The lifespan of a Roloway monkey is about 20 years in the wild, while individuals in captivity live for more than 30 years.

Predators

References

• Bi, S. G. et al. (2008) ‘Tanoé Forest, South-Eastern Côte-d’Ivoire Identified as a High Priority Site for the Conservation of Critically Endangered Primates in West Africa’, Tropical Conservation Science, pp. 265–278. doi: 10.1177/194008290800100307.