Agile mangabey

The agile mangabey has a short, overall dull olive-grey pelage.[4] The bare skin of the face and feet is blackish.[5] Males are 51–65 centimeters (20–26 inches) in length and weigh about 7–13 kilograms (15–29 lb), while the smaller females are 44–55 centimeters (17–22 inches) and weigh 5–7 kilograms (11–15 lb).[4]

Similar to other mangabeys, they are diurnal.[3] Although generally arboreal, they do spend a significant portion of their time (12–22%) on the ground,[5] especially during the dry season. It is typically more commonly heard than seen,[4] and males have a loud, species-specific call that is believed to be used to space themselves out.[3] Other calls are also used to maintain group cohesion and warn of predators.[5] Group size can be as high as 18 members, led by a single adult male. Group meetings can be friendly and may involve exchange of members. Adult males not in groups often travel singly.[4]

Fruit makes up a major portion of the agile mangabey diet. They are known to eat at least 42 different species of fruit.[5] Their tooth structure and powerful jaws allows them to open tough pods and fruits that many other monkeys can not access.[5] Agile mangabeys eat from a number of dominant swamp-forest trees, including dika nuts and sugar plums, when they are fruiting.[4] They also eat fresh leaf shoots from raffia palms when fruits are scarce. Grasses and mushrooms,[4] as well as insects, other invertebrates, bird's eggs and some vertebrate prey, such as rodents, are also eaten.[5]

Agile mangabeys are known to contract T-cell leukemia virus, similar to the leukemia virus that infects humans.[6] There is also evidence that they contract Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a virus related to human HIV that infects certain apes and monkeys.[7] They have rarely been kept in captivity,[5] with only three individuals held in Species360 registered institutions in July 2008.[8]