Silver Spring Monkeys
Silver Spring monkeys are scientifically known as Cercopithecus doggetti and features as the old monkey species in the world. These rare primate species thrive mainly in East Africa especially Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Originally, silver monkeys belonged to blue monkey subspecies, scientifically known as Cercopithecus Mitis and there is still confusion between the two.
In Uganda, they are found in Kibale Forest National Park the famous capital of primate of the world. This park offers refuge to over 13 distinct primate species that are worth exploring while on Uganda safari. Besides East Africa, these spectacular primates thrive around India, the Central and Southern Asia and Japan and others.
They mainly spend their time on trees and just like most of their cousins in the Cercopithecidae family and they live in a group with one dominant alpha male with female and infants. Grooming among silver springs monkeys is one way of bonding between females and their young ones.
Usually, females are the ones which start mating with male silver monkeys and the gestation is five months and after, one young one is born. They breed all year round and the young ones are weaned for about half a year. Both males and females become sexually mature at the same period and that is three years.
They have a lifespan of 20 to 25 years but males equally become sexually mature at 3 years. Silver springs monkeys depend on flora and fruits and at times feed on tiny insects which sometimes they eat especially when there is scarcity in food. A fact that these primate species are frugivorous, they are believed to have led to more seed dispersal in their respective forest.
They have narrow noses and septum, hard patches of bare skin on their buttocks, bony sear passages, 2 big premolars in every half of the jaws and close-set of nostrils which are directed either forward or down. Like any forest primate dwellers, silver monkeys are largely threatened by several predators most of which include birds of prey, huge snakes and leopards which feature among the major threat. And which is why they are believed to have a positive effect on the predator numbers.
In conclusion, silver springs monkeys feature among the most spectacular and distinct primates on earth that you should count a must to strike your imaginations while on safari in Uganda. For dramatic primate adventures, consider visiting Kibale Forest National Park and you won’t regret in life. The park boasts of other amazing primates like chimpanzees, L’Hoests, red-tailed monkeys and several colobus monkeys.
