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Savannah, or vervet monkey - CERCOPITHECUS AETHIOPS

Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
Subclass: True Mammals (Eutheria)
Order: First Order Mammals (Primatea)
Family: Cercopithecidae.

The word "Monkey": "Monkey" is of unknown derivation, but it may come from the old German story of "Reynard the Fox," in which the ape's son was named "Moneke." "Savannah" is from the West Indies Taino word "zabana," meaning a flat, treeless grassland in the tropics or subtropics. "Vervet" is French for "green coat," referring to the greenish hue of this monkey's fur.

Location: Most of Africa south of the Sahara, with the exception of the central areas in southern Africa. This monkey has been introduced to some Caribbean islands.

Habitat: Terrestrial and arboreal. Savanna and scrubland, right up to the edge of forests.

Description: This single species consists of various geographic subspecies, more or less well defined. The face is usually black with white fur surrounding it. The body coat is pale olive-green, sometimes with rust-colored shading. Its long tail is carried at an angle to the back. Length ot head and body 16-24 in, tail 20-35 in, weight about 15 lbs.

Behavior: Among the various monkeys of this species, the vervet monkey is one of the most adaptable, and often occupies environments frequented by man. It usually lives in open areas where it can move about easily. It lives in small groups of up to two dozen individuals, but groups numbering more than 100 members have also been observed. It is a quiet animal, and will only send out an alarm call when in danger. It has separate alarm calls for bird predators, snakes, and leopards. It feeds on soft fruits, seeds, and flowers, and often raids cultivated land and gardens. It almost never drinks any liquid.

Reproduction: Unknown.