PRIMATES

Full screen Primates Id code: amd352

Cercopithecidae
Procolobus badius

(Kerr, 1792)

(Eng) Red colobus

(Fre) Colobe bai d’Afrique occidentale

Taxonomic notes

The taxonomy of red colobus monkeys is still poorly established, with various, commonly used classifications recognising from one up to five different species and several subspecies (Lee et al., 1988). Pending a reanalysis of their relationships and in accordance with Oates (1996), all the forms of red colobus have been included in P. badius.

IUCN threat category

P. badius is listed as Lower Risk, near threatened (LR: nt), while the following forms are considered (Baillie & Groombridge, 1996):

P. b. bouvieri Endangered (EN: criteria B1+2c)

P. b.preussi Endangered (EN: criteria B1+2ac)

P. b. epieni Endangered (EN: criteria B1+2ac)

P. b. gordonorum Endangered (EN: criteria B1+2abc)

P. b. kirkii Endangered (EN: criteria B1+2c,C2a)

P. b. pennantii Endangered (EN: criteria B1+2abcde, C1)

P. b. rufomitratus Endangered (EN: criteria B1+2abcde, C2a)

P. b. temminckii Endangered (EN: criteria A1c)

P. b. waldroni Critically Endangered (CR: criteria A1c)

P. b. foai Data Deficient (DD)

P. b. langi Data Deficient (DD)

P. b. lulindicus Data Deficient (DD)

P. b. parmentierorum Data Deficient (DD)

P. b. semlikiensis Data Deficient (DD)

Available information

Most of the studies on the red colobus have been conducted in East Africa on the Zanzibar red colobus (Mturi, 1993; Silkiluwasha, 1981; Struhsaker & Leland, 1980) and on the Tana River red colobus (Decker, 1994; Decker & Kinnaird, 1992; Marsh, 1979; 1981a; 1981b; 1981c). All the authors mentioned give information on the main aspects of its ecology, focusing mainly on its feeding habits, social behaviour and population dynamics. Status and threats, particularly habitat loss and fragmentation, of the Tana River red colobus were recently investigated by Decker (1994), Decker & Kinnaird (1992) and Medley (1993). A study on the feeding ecology of this species was conducted in former Zaire (Maisels et al., 1994). In West Africa, Galat & Galat-Luong (1985) conducted a comparative study on the ecology and niche separation in a primate community in Ivory Coast. Data on habitat preferences and use of secondary growth forest in Sierra Leone are found in Fimbel (1994). Some information on the interspecific relationships among coexisting primates in the Mwanihana Forest (Tanzania) are found in Wasser (1993). The role of red colobus in the chimpanzees' diet and the interactions among those two primate species are analysed in Boesch (1994). Aspects of the species' ecology, particularly niche separation and coexistence with the black-and-white colobus monkey and the red tail monkey were studied in Uganda by Struhsaker & Oates (1979) and Struhsaker (1980).The most comprehensive study on this species in west Africa was carried out by Starin (1981, 1991). Quite updated data on presence and status of the red colobus on Bioko Island and in part of Cameroon and Congo are found in Butynski & Koster (1994) and Mitani (1990) respectively. Some information on its presence is also available for of former Zaire (Rahm & Christiaensen, 1966; Colyn, 1987) and for Ghana (Booth, 1979). General information on the species' ecology is found in Groves et al. (1974), Kingdon (1997), Rahm (1970) and Stuart & Stuart (1997). Conservation issues are discussed in Mittermeier (1986) and Struhsaker (1981). Overall status, threats, and distribution of this species are discussed in Oates (1986, 1994, 1996).

Known extent of occurrence

The species ranges discontinuously through the west-African forest block extending into central-eastern Africa as far as Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania (Lee et al., 1988). A first rough distribution map was obtained from Kingdon (1971-77) and subsequently updated with maps found in Kingdon (1997). Finally the red colobus range was corrected to match the river network (Fig. 2.3.38.a).

Categorical-discrete (CD) distribution model

This species is restricted to montane, lowland and gallery forests; it also occurs in mangroves (Lee et al., 1988; Bourlière, 1985; Oates, 1996; Groves et al., 1974).

Based on these environmental preferences, the following scores were assigned (Fig. 2.3.38.b) (2.3.38.a):

Score
1	Forests; forest mosaics and savannas occurring inside a 1-km buffer around permanent water.
2	Forest mosaics occurring outside a 1-km buffer around permanent water and mangroves.
3	Savannas occurring outside a 1-km buffer around permanent water and croplands.

suitable		moderately suitable		unsuitable		Total
km²	%	km²	%	km²	%	km²	%
1 867 495	68	326 466	12	542 481	20	2 736 442	100

Tab 2.3.38.a: Cumulative size (km²) of areas pertaining to each environmental suitability class within the Extent of Occurrence.

	Number Patches (NP)	Mean Patch Size (MPS) km²	Patch Size SD (PSSD) km²	Largest Patch Index (LPI) %	Mean Shape Index (MSI)	Area-Weighted Mean Shape Index (AWMSI)
suitable	922	2 024	46 763	63.84	1.55	24.93
moderately suitable	2 478	132	1 055	2.2	1.28	5.58
Total AO	612	3 585	67 763	74.91	1.53	15.92

Tab 2.3.38.b: Area of Occupancy fragmentation indexes.

Probabilistic-continuous (PC) distribution model

The output of the probabilistic-continuous (PC) distribution model is shown in Fig. 2.3.38.c.

Validation

% of EO in sample areas	Number of valid plots	Index of Accordance (%)
6.77	74	39.19

Tab 2.3.38.c: Categorical-discrete (CD) distribution model validation parameters.

Comments and conservation issues

The large EO in Fig. 2.3.38.a includes all subspecies and can be used only to consider the overall status of the species without any appreciation of the subspecies level. However, consideration of the species level is of particular importance as the limited conservation resources should give priority to the species rather than to the lower systematic categories. In this view, the species has a large though considerably fragmented EO. Although the overall suitability of the EO is significant (68% is suitable and 12% is moderately suitable), both models agree in identifying areas of evident lower suitability: these areas support most of the endangered subspecies which also owe their status to the poor quality of their range. Beside the small populations living on Bioko and Zanzibar, populations living in Senegal, Gambia and Guinea also have low suitability areas. The ranges in Ivory Coast and Ghana are highly fragmented and of poor quality, as are those in Tanzania and Kenya. The Index of Accordance is quite low (39.19%) probably because riverine habitats are poorly represented at the resolution of the databank. The overall protection given to the species throughout its range is only 6% of the total, but the current priority is an analysis at the local subspecies level.

SUITABILITY CLASS	inside	outside	Total
suitable	3.79	64.45	68.25
moderately suitable	1.16	10.77	11.93
unsuitable	2.04	17.79	19.82
Total	6.99	93.01	100

Tab 2.3.38.d: Percent of environmental suitability classes within EO (as obtained from the categorical-discrete distribution model) inside and outside the protected areas.

References

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