Moustached guenon

The moustached guenon belongs to the genus Cercopithecus, a genus of Old World monkeys, and in the C. cephus group. It is named by its unique moustached face in the monkeys, which has three recognized subspecies: (1) Red-tailed moustached monkey (C. cephus cephus); (2) Gray-tailed Moustached Monkey (C. cephus cephodes); (3) White-nosed Moustached Monkey (C. cephus ngottoensis). However, the C. cephus group also includes many other long-tailed monkey that has other unique morphological patterns except the moustache, for example, the regular red-tailed monkeys (Cercopithecus scanius), the red-bellied monkey (C. e. erythrogaster) and the white-throated monkey (Cercopithecus erythrogaster). The diversity of the moustached guenon is one of the highest among Cercopithecus species. In addition, it is not the only primate genus with the "moustached" patterns (see also moustached tamarins). == Habitat and distribution ==

Cercopithecus cephus usually live in undistributed forests, and they are not easy to be recorded by ground-level cameras because they are arboreal. The C. cephus are diurnal and share vertical spaces with other species. They are born to jump between the tropical trees (up to 20m from a tree to another), and they are widespread in Gabon and Northern Congo. The main region starts from the Sanaga River's South and East side and goes all the way to the Ubangi watersheds, which are mostly covered by the lowland tropical rainforests; however, the gallery forests, flooded forests and mangrove forests are also available for them. == Biographical patterns ==

Size and weight For adults, the average weight of this species is around 4.1 kg for males and 3.6 kg for females. The average length (head-to-body) is 58 cm for males and 49 cm for females; and the average tail length is 78 cm for males and 69.5 cm for females. Lifespan The average life span is around 22 years for the wild guenon and up to 36 in captivity. Face patterns The Cercopithecus genus evolved with special visual patterns for higher efficiency in association; therefore, they can have a higher chance of survival. The C. cephus has powerful and enlarged cheekbones, the most common moustache is the crescent white strip of fur under the nose, and the surrounding fur is black, which shows a strong color contrast; hence, the face patterns can be considered as visual signals. On the top of the white stripe, the main area of the face is greyish blue, and the eyes are copper. The face pattern does not necessarily help to distinguish the male and female guenon. Like other Old World monkeys, the guenon also developed the hairless rump pad for comfortable sitting. == Behaviour ==

Polyspecific associations The C. cephus cooperates with the C. nictitans and the C. pogonias ships; for example, the cephus monkeys alert the other two groups when they observe the eagles because they live lower than the other two groups, which will give loud vocal alerts to the cephus monkeys when they feel an aerial danger. Studies have shown that these types of associations did not randomly occur in the evolution process. Colour patterns in the Cercopithecus provide unique visual identities for each genus which allowed the development of the polyspecific association of the guenon communities. For the red-tailed and the nose-spotted moustached monkeys, the most observable differences are on their faces; however, genital colour contrasts and head movements are some of the less observable differences. However, hybridization also increases the risk of guenon's adaptive advantages, that they might lose their visual patterns during the hybridization. Reproductivity The guenons usually mate between 4 and 5 years old, with a female showing her rump to the male. The regular time for new births comes at the end of the rainy period of the year due to the subsequent rich food season. If the rainy season is year-round in the equatorial area, the mating and birth seasons can also appear at any time in the year. == Laboratory experiments ==

Susceptibility to poliomyelitis virus C. cephus can be fatally overwhelmed by the poliomyelitis virus (e.g., Hartford and SK strains) and can easily generate cross-contamination with other species, such as the Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). The biogeographic break in the watershed in Nigeria and Cameroon may involve a three-clade substructure, which is a break that occurred after the Pleistocene glaciation. Serological survey and ebola virus Serological screening or surveys are widely used in determining the prevalence of a disease among a certain populations. The survey can collect samples from animal's blood or feces. == Conservation ==

Impacts from human activities Poaching, bushmeat market, and pet trading in Western Africa The moustached monkeys are the main target in the primate poaching activities and the main victim in the western Africa bushmeat market. Many C. cephus infants have been captured and sold to people as pets. Road construction is one type of projects that needs to go through the EIA procedures. The lack of concern of the road effects to primates have not only push the endangered primates into a more challenging situation, but also make the less concerned primate like the C. cephus more vulnerable as well. The C. cephus population resilience to habitat fragmentation due to road construction remains unstudied, and the poaching of the C. cephus has not shown a turning point yet. As a result, large population decrease may appear among the geunon's groups. On the other hand, the bushmeat market is highly risky in spreading the discussed zoonoses; and may be even riskier due to the rapid road construction in West Africa. ==References==