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| Subspecies: | Unknown |
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| Est. World Population: | |
| CITES Status: | NOT LISTED |
| IUCN Status: | Near Threatened |
| U.S. ESA Status: | NOT LISTED |
| Body Length: | |
| Tail Length: | |
| Shoulder Height: | |
| Weight: | |
| Top Speed: | |
| Jumping Ability: | (Horizontal) |
| Life Span: | in the Wild |
| Life Span: | in Captivity |
| Sexual Maturity: | (Females) |
| Sexual Maturity: | (Males) |
| Litter Size: | |
| Gestation Period: | |
Habitat:
Erythrocebus patas is a medium-sized, diurnal, largely terrestrial, monkey. Occupies vegetation types ranging from grassland, to wooded savanna, to woodland (Isbell 2013). Most common in thinly bushed Acacia woodland. Appears to prefer woodland-grassland margins along rivers and lakes. Generally, avoids dense vegetation, including riparian forest (Hall 1965, Isbell 2013). In East Africa, E. p. pyrrhonotus is strongly associated with Whistling Thorn Acacia Acacia drepanolobium open woodland (Isbell 1998, De Jong et al. 2008). At Ennedi Massif, northeastern Chad, and Äir Massif, central northern Niger, E. patas occurs in subdesertic grassland, sparse Acacia woodland, and bushland (Dekeyser 1950, S. Turner pers. comm. 2016).
Although E. patas can climb trees when alarmed, it usually relies on its speed on the ground to escape.
Erythrocebus p. pyrrhonotus is omnivorous, feeding on gums, invertebrates, flowers, fruits, and seeds (Chism and Rowell 1988, De Jong et al. 2008, Isbell 2013). Visits to water are typically daily during the dry season. It often uses man-made water sources (e.g., dams, tanks, troughs), and uses fences to sit on and scan from. In all areas where it is encountered in Kenya, E. p. pyrrhonotus is somewhat habituated to humans, mainly to pastoralists, farmers, and 'monkey chasers' in crop fields. In Busia District, central western Kenya, it has adapted to a high human population and little natural vegetation. There, it eats maize and other crops (De Jong et al. 2008, Butynski and De Jong 2014a). In Kidepo Valley National Park, northeastern Uganda, E. p. pyrrhonotus raids garbage bins daily (Butynski and De Jong 2014a).
Erythrocebus p. pyrrhonotus lives in single-male groups of 13–56 individuals (Chism and Rowell 1988). Burnham (2004) reported longer day ranges for all-male groups (mean 7.3 km/day) compared with social groups (mean 4.7 km/day) in the same area of Laikipia County, central Kenya. There, home range sizes of social groups are 23–40 km², depending on group size (Chism and Rowell 1988, Enstam and Isbell 2004), but elsewhere can be as large as 52 km² (e.g., group of 31 individuals in Murchison Falls National Park, northwestern Uganda; Hall 1965).
Although E. patas can climb trees when alarmed, it usually relies on its speed on the ground to escape.
Erythrocebus p. pyrrhonotus is omnivorous, feeding on gums, invertebrates, flowers, fruits, and seeds (Chism and Rowell 1988, De Jong et al. 2008, Isbell 2013). Visits to water are typically daily during the dry season. It often uses man-made water sources (e.g., dams, tanks, troughs), and uses fences to sit on and scan from. In all areas where it is encountered in Kenya, E. p. pyrrhonotus is somewhat habituated to humans, mainly to pastoralists, farmers, and 'monkey chasers' in crop fields. In Busia District, central western Kenya, it has adapted to a high human population and little natural vegetation. There, it eats maize and other crops (De Jong et al. 2008, Butynski and De Jong 2014a). In Kidepo Valley National Park, northeastern Uganda, E. p. pyrrhonotus raids garbage bins daily (Butynski and De Jong 2014a).
Erythrocebus p. pyrrhonotus lives in single-male groups of 13–56 individuals (Chism and Rowell 1988). Burnham (2004) reported longer day ranges for all-male groups (mean 7.3 km/day) compared with social groups (mean 4.7 km/day) in the same area of Laikipia County, central Kenya. There, home range sizes of social groups are 23–40 km², depending on group size (Chism and Rowell 1988, Enstam and Isbell 2004), but elsewhere can be as large as 52 km² (e.g., group of 31 individuals in Murchison Falls National Park, northwestern Uganda; Hall 1965).
Range:
Erythrocebus patas is endemic to tropical Africa. This species ranges in the Sahelian Region and Sudanian Region north of the equatorial forests and south of the Sahara, from western Senegal and The Gambia, southern Mauritania, Guinea Bissau, and northern Guinea, eastwards through northern Uganda, South Sudan, and southwestern Ethiopia, and southwards to the Laikipia Plateau in central Kenya (De Jong et al. 2008, 2009; Oates 2011; Isbell 2013; De Jong and Butynski 2017, 2023). Altitudinal range is from sea level to 2,050 m asl (Wallis 2022, De Jong and Butynski 2023).
Three subspecies are recognised:
1) Erythrocebus p. patas (Western Patas Monkey). North of the equatorial forests and south of the Sahara from western Senegal and The Gambia, southern Mauritania, southern Mali, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone eastwards to northern Cameroon, southern Chad, and western Central African Republic (Campbell et al. 2007, Oates 2011, Isbell 2013, De Jong and Butynski 2021, Chesney et al. 2023, Wild Chimpanzee Foundation pers. comm. 2024, C. Arong and J. Linder pers. comm 2024). The eastern geographic limits are unclear. Although E. p. patas ranges into the western Chad and Central African Republic, E. p. pyrrhonotus occurs in the east of these countries. A cline or region of hybridization may exist in the centre of both Chad and the Central African Republic. Altitudinal range is ~0–600 m asl. About 600 m asl at Dindefelo Falls, Reserve Naturelle Communautaire de Dindefelo, southeastern Senegal (A. Galat-Luong and G. Galat pers. comm. 2024).
2) Erythrocebus p. pyrrhonotus (Eastern Patas Monkey). North of the equatorial forests and south of the Sahara from southeastern Chad (e.g., Zakouma National Park and Ennedi Massif) eastwards through, eastern Central African Republic, northern Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and central and southern Sudan (presumably west of the White Nile River, perhaps as far north as Et Tura), southeastwards through northern Uganda (e.g., Murchison National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve) to northwestern and central Kenya (e.g., West-Pokot County, Laikipia County; De Jong et al. 2008; De Jong and Butynski 2012, 2013, 2014, 2023; Butynski and De Jong 2014a, 2014b, 2017). The western geographic limits are unclear. Altitudinal range is about 650 (Kakuma, northwest Kenya; De Jong 2004) to 2,050 m asl (Laikipia, central Kenya; De Jong and Butynski 2017, 2023).
3) Erythrocebus p. villiersi (Aïr Massif Patas Monkey). Endemic to the Aïr Massif, central northern Niger, where it occurs in several isolated pockets, but mainly in the larger valleys in the south (Dekeyser 1950, Dekeyser and Derivot 1959, Masseti and Bruner 2009). Altitudinal range 600 m asl (Dahaga) to 1,600 m asl (Baguezans Plateau; Dekeyser 1950).
An introduced population of E. patas occurs in Puerto Rico. Erythrocebus patas was intentionally released on Cueva Island and Guayacan Island between 1971 and 1981 by the La Parguera Primate Facility. During 1974 to 1981, some individuals moved from these islands to mainland Puerto Rico (González-Martínez 1998). Today, E. patas is considered a nuisance species on mainland Puerto Rico.
Three subspecies are recognised:
1) Erythrocebus p. patas (Western Patas Monkey). North of the equatorial forests and south of the Sahara from western Senegal and The Gambia, southern Mauritania, southern Mali, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone eastwards to northern Cameroon, southern Chad, and western Central African Republic (Campbell et al. 2007, Oates 2011, Isbell 2013, De Jong and Butynski 2021, Chesney et al. 2023, Wild Chimpanzee Foundation pers. comm. 2024, C. Arong and J. Linder pers. comm 2024). The eastern geographic limits are unclear. Although E. p. patas ranges into the western Chad and Central African Republic, E. p. pyrrhonotus occurs in the east of these countries. A cline or region of hybridization may exist in the centre of both Chad and the Central African Republic. Altitudinal range is ~0–600 m asl. About 600 m asl at Dindefelo Falls, Reserve Naturelle Communautaire de Dindefelo, southeastern Senegal (A. Galat-Luong and G. Galat pers. comm. 2024).
2) Erythrocebus p. pyrrhonotus (Eastern Patas Monkey). North of the equatorial forests and south of the Sahara from southeastern Chad (e.g., Zakouma National Park and Ennedi Massif) eastwards through, eastern Central African Republic, northern Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and central and southern Sudan (presumably west of the White Nile River, perhaps as far north as Et Tura), southeastwards through northern Uganda (e.g., Murchison National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve) to northwestern and central Kenya (e.g., West-Pokot County, Laikipia County; De Jong et al. 2008; De Jong and Butynski 2012, 2013, 2014, 2023; Butynski and De Jong 2014a, 2014b, 2017). The western geographic limits are unclear. Altitudinal range is about 650 (Kakuma, northwest Kenya; De Jong 2004) to 2,050 m asl (Laikipia, central Kenya; De Jong and Butynski 2017, 2023).
3) Erythrocebus p. villiersi (Aïr Massif Patas Monkey). Endemic to the Aïr Massif, central northern Niger, where it occurs in several isolated pockets, but mainly in the larger valleys in the south (Dekeyser 1950, Dekeyser and Derivot 1959, Masseti and Bruner 2009). Altitudinal range 600 m asl (Dahaga) to 1,600 m asl (Baguezans Plateau; Dekeyser 1950).
An introduced population of E. patas occurs in Puerto Rico. Erythrocebus patas was intentionally released on Cueva Island and Guayacan Island between 1971 and 1981 by the La Parguera Primate Facility. During 1974 to 1981, some individuals moved from these islands to mainland Puerto Rico (González-Martínez 1998). Today, E. patas is considered a nuisance species on mainland Puerto Rico.
Conservation:
Erythrocebus patas is listed under CITES Appendix II and as Class B under the African Convention. Present in many protected areas across its range, including Aïr Natural Reserve and Ténéré Natural Reserve, Niger. Murchison Fall National Park in northwestern Uganda and Kidepo National Park in northeastern Uganda appear to be the main sites for the conservation of E. patas in East Africa.
Erythrocebus patas in Kenya is on the verge of extinction. Laikipia County probably once held the largest population of E. patas in Kenya (Isbell and Chism 2007, De Jong et al. 2008, Butynski and De Jong 2014b, De Jong and Butynski 2017). All Patas groups in Laikipia occur outside formally protected areas. Probably all live on private livestock ranches where there are large areas of Whistling Thorn Acacia woodland and artificial sources of water (Isbell and Chism 2007, De Jong et al. 2008, Butynski and De Jong 2014b, De Jong and Butynski 2017). These relatively well protected private ranches appear critical to the survival of E. patas in Kenya.
Erythrocebus patas in Kenya is on the verge of extinction. Laikipia County probably once held the largest population of E. patas in Kenya (Isbell and Chism 2007, De Jong et al. 2008, Butynski and De Jong 2014b, De Jong and Butynski 2017). All Patas groups in Laikipia occur outside formally protected areas. Probably all live on private livestock ranches where there are large areas of Whistling Thorn Acacia woodland and artificial sources of water (Isbell and Chism 2007, De Jong et al. 2008, Butynski and De Jong 2014b, De Jong and Butynski 2017). These relatively well protected private ranches appear critical to the survival of E. patas in Kenya.