Preuss's red colobus (''Piliocolobus preussi'') is a red colobus

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter includin ...

species endemic to the Cross-Sanaga Rivers ecoregion. An important population occurs in Korup National Park,

Southwest Province The Southwest Region or South-West Region () is a region in Cameroon. Its capital is Buea. , its population was 1,553,320. Along with the Northwest Region, it is one of the two Anglophone (English-speaking) regions of Cameroon. Various Ambazoni ...

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the ...

, but the species' distribution is localized (groups are frequently encountered near the main tourist camps). The species is considered present in adjacent Cross River National Park - Oban Division in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

and hunter reports suggest that few groups remain in Nkwende Hills and Nta Ali Forest Reserve in the broader Korup region.Astaras, C. (2009). Ecology and Status of the Drill (''Mandrillus leucophaeus'') in Korup National Park: Implications for Conservation. PhD dissertation, Gerog-August-University of Göttingen, pp. 287. A population is also present in Ebo forest, Littoral Province of

Conservation status

The Preuss's red colobus is critically endangered according to the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biolo ...

due to hunting pressure and destruction of its habitat. Large portion of the remaining groups are included within protected areas ( Korup National Park, Cross River National Park, and the proposed national park at Ebo).

Ecology

Like other colobus monkeys, it is primarily a leaf eater.

Description

Preuss's red colobus has a black head, a black back ticked with orange, and bright red tail, limbs and cheeks.

Taxonomy

Preuss's red colobus has, in the past, been considered a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all specie ...

of '' P. pennantii'' and '' P. badius.''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1206196 Preuss's red colobus Mammals of Cameroon Mammals of West Africa Critically endangered fauna of Africa Preuss's red colobus Primates of Africa Taxa named by Paul Matschie