Black-and-white colobus monkey in exhibit

Black-and-white Colobus Monkey

Scientific Name
Colobus guereza
Class
Mammalia
Order
Primates
Range
Equatorial Africa
Habitat
Rain forests and cleared forests
Estimated Wild Population
n/a
Black-and-white colobus monkey in exhibit Endangered Status Graph - Least Concern Endangered Status Graph - Least Concern

More Information

Black-and-white colobus monkeys have a glossy black coat and a white-framed face. Males can weigh 30 pounds, but females are substantially smaller. Colobus monkeys have unique stomachs; their complex gut system allows them to digest large quantities of leafy plant material. They live in troops of up to 15 individuals. Infants are white at birth but begin to change color after about six weeks.

Did You Know?

While displaying, males “roar” and wave their cape—the long hair on their shoulders.

The black-and-white colobus monkeys at Lincoln Park Zoo eat a lot of leafy greens, such as lettuce, but Animal Care staff also provide them with a variety of browse, or tree leaves, throughout the day.

Colobus monkeys are very arboreal, meaning they prefer living in tree canopies. At Lincoln Park Zoo, Animal Care specialists encourage this behavior by leaving sleeping hammocks in their vertical spaces and hanging food from the ceiling.

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Species Survival Plan®

We cooperate with other members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to manage the zoo population of this species through a Species Survival Plan®.

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Animal Care staff working with seal

Commitment to Care

Lincoln Park Zoo prioritizes individual well-being over everything else. Guided by scientific research, staff and volunteers work to provide the best welfare outcomes for each individual in the zoo’s care.

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Asian small-clawed otter in exhibit

Wish List

The Wish List is full of one-of-a-kind items for the zoo’s animals, including nutritious snacks and enrichment items to keep them active and healthy.

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African penguin eating a fish

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Wildlife face many daunting challenges—some global, like planet-wide climate change, and some that affect individuals, like an animal ingesting plastic—but now is not the time to despair. None of these problems are too big for us to come together and solve.

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