Cercocebus chrysogaster Lydekker 1900

25. Golden-bellied Mangabey Cercocebus chrysogaster French: Mangabey a ventre doré / German: Goldbauchmangabe / Spanish: Mangabey de vientre dorado Taxonomy. Cercocebus chrysogaster Lydekker, 1900, Democratic Republic of Congo, south of Congo River. C. chrysogaster is ranked as a subspecies of C. galeritus by some experts. Monotypic. Distribution. Congo Basin in the DR Congo, S of the Congo River. Its precise N,S and E distributional limits are not fully known, but based on current records, the W limit is the Congo River, the N limit could be the Lulonga River, and the E limit is probably the Lomami River. Descriptive notes. There are no specific measurements available. In his 1997 Field Guide to African Mammals, J. Kingdon provided the following estimates: head-body c.52-66 cm (males) and c.45-55 cm (females), tail ¢.50-75 cm; weight c.10-14 kg (males) and c.6-8 kg (females). The Golden-bellied Mangabey is relatively robustly built, and its striking coloration and naked violet rump are similar to the Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus). Upper body, crown, and outer limbs of the Golden-bellied Mangabey are a rich, dark, speckled reddish-brown or grizzled olive, which is in sharp contrast with creamy-yellow cheeks, throat, and inner surfaces of limbs. Chest and belly are bright golden orange, hence the common name. Cheek whiskers are long and swept back. Eyelids are pale but not white. Tail is speckled at the root only, tapered, and carried in a backward arc (unlike other mangabeys). Size differences between males and females are considerable. Habitat. Rainforest and swamp forest up to 500 m above sea level. Golden-bellied Mangabeys occur in seasonally inundated lowland rainforest and may occur in gallery forest; they are sometimes also recorded in secondary forest. They prefer the ground and understory. The Golden-bellied Mangabeyis still poorly known with regard to its behavior, ecology, and reproduction. Food and Feeding. Golden-bellied Mangabeys mainly eatfruits and seeds, along with leaves, flowers, gums, and animal prey. Breeding. There is no specific information available for this species in the wild, but in captivity female Golden-bellied Mangabeys reach menarche, begin cycling, and have their first perineal swelling at ¢.2-5 years of age. First pregnancies occurafterfive years of age. A typical menstrual cycle lasts 33 days. The gestation period averages 165-180 days. Interbirth intervals are 17-23 months. As in other mangabey species, female Golden-bellied Mangabeys often develop a post-conception swelling. The Goldenbellied Mangabey can live 30 years in captivity. Activity patterns. Golden-bellied Mangabeys are diurnal and mainly terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No systematic observations of Golden-bellied Mangabeys have been made. There are reports of group sizes of 15-35 individuals but also of groups with more than 100 individuals. They most likely live in multimale-multifemale groups. Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Data Deficient on The [IUCN Red List. The Golden-bellied Mangabey is listed as Class B in the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. It is intensively hunted and may be an agricultural pest in some areas. It may also be at risk from localized habitat loss The Golden-bellied Mangabey occurs in Salonga National Park, DR Congo. Further survey work is urgently needed to determine the limits of its distribution,its abundance, and current conservation status. Bibliography. Colyn (1991), Colyn & Deleporte (2002), Colyn, Gautier-Hion & Verheyen (1991), Field & Walker (1995), Gautier-Hion et al. (1999), Groves (1978, 2001, 2005b), Grubb (2006), Grubb et al. (2003), Harris (2000 Harris & Disotell (1998), Hill (1974), Jolly (2007), Kingdon (1997), McGraw & Fleagle (2006), Mitchell, G., Obradovich et al. (1991), Mitchell, G., Soteriou, Kenney et al. (1988), Mitchell, G., Soteriou, Towers et al. (1987 Mitchell, G., Towers et al. (1988), Petter & Brochier (1989), Swedell (2011), Walker et al. (2004).Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Cercopithecidae, pp. 550-755 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 652, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.686706