EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Monkey Mom, Monkey Baby

Samango or Sykes' monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis), Family Cercopithecidae
Mount Kenya, Keyna, Africa

Explanation:  Stepping outside our rooms at the Sarena Mountain Lodge on Mount Kenya, we are greeted by a mom and baby.  These are Samango or Syke's monkeys, found throughout eastern Africa.

Samango (Syke's) monkeys have also been considered conspecific with blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis), but a big visible difference is that Samangos have the obvious white throat, chest, and eyebrow.  

Monkey baby here is clinging tightly to monkey mom, for good reason.  Juvenile Samangos are often the target prey for the powerful, swiftly-swooping African Crowned Eagles!
 

Information:
     Coleman, B.T. and R.A. Hill.  2014.  Living in a landscape of fear: the impact of predation, resource availability and habitat structure on primate range use.  Animal Behavior 88:165-173.
     Malan, G., E. Strydom, S. Shultz, and G. Avery.  2016.  Diet of nesting African Crowned Eagles Stephanoaetus coronatus in emerging and forest–savanna habitats in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  Ostrich Journal of African Ornithology 87(2):145-153.
     Symes, C.T. and A.R. Antonites.  2014.  Notes on African Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus diet in savanna and forest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  Ostrich Journal of African Ornithology 85(1):85-88.