Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Mountain Gorilla




Silverback male Mountain Gorilla in Uganda by Lys Hornsby
(Gorilla beringei beringei)

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern Uganda in the Rukiga Highlands and on the edge of the western rift valley.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Western Lowland Gorilla



A silverback Western Lowland Gorilla named "Wanto" - born at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Wanto was hand raised by zoo keepers and slowly introduced to a troop of gorillas at the zoo.

He used to wave at visitors and throw dirt at researchers. I had to duck a few sticks and rocks - he had a good sidearm throwing motion. He also would clap his hands a few times, fold his arms, then sit back and watch the visitors clapping.

Wanto, who sometimes considered himself more human than gorilla because of his early nurturing by park attendants, was born at the zoo Dec. 14, 1976. Wanto's most difficult problem was to gain the acceptance of the Woodland Park gorilla troop. He did not do so until he was 7, according to the Seattle-PI. Read more

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Chimpanzee



This chimp at the Oakland Zoo, sat in a thoughtful pose as it watched visitors walk by.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra)


Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra)

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator)

Emperor Tamarin Saguinus imperator

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)


Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus

Sunday, February 24, 2008

White-collared Mangabey


White-collared Mangabey

Sunday, February 17, 2008

White-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar)


White-handed gibbon Hylobates lar - Adult male has a dark brown to black body, with white hands, feet and face. They are very agile lesser-apes. White-handed gibbons can run bipedal for short distances and move through the trees using an arm-over-arm motion known as brachiating.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Drill


Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus)
Drills are found only in Cameroon, north of the Sanaga river and on the coastal island of Fernando Poo.They are mainly found in the lowland forests, coastal, and riverine forests.
Learn about the Drill

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Western Lowland Gorilla


Wanto - a silverback Western Lowland Gorilla - giving me the eye. This is one of my favorite primate photos. It's interesting to observe the reaction people have when they see the facial expressions of gorillas. "They look so human."

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Siamang


Siamangs calling (female on left; male on right). The duet song can be heard from a long distance.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Brown Capuchin Monkey


Capuchin climbing a tree. These monkeys are also known as tufted capuchins because of the cap of short black hair that forms two ridges or tufts on either side of their crown. The capuchin monkey derives its name from the Capuchin monk, whose cowl the monkey's hair-pattern resembles.

Capuchins are very smart and are sometimes kept by humans. Because they are easy to train, they are see on TV commercials and movies - including the monkey named "Jack" in Pirates of the Caribbean. They have also been trained to help disabled people. Like seeing eye dogs guide blind people, capuchins act as helping 'hands' for quadriplegics.

Their diet includes fruit, seeds, insects, reptiles, birds and small mammals. With the proper nutrition, they can live up to 40 years.

Brown capuchin monkey Cebus apella

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Patas Monkey - Erythrocebus patas


The Patas monkey has long limbs and a lean body. This species is well adapted for terrestrial life (ground dwelling), although they also are able to climb trees to avoid predators. The long tail helps with balance when jumping or sitting. They are very fast for a primate, with a maximum ground speed of ~55 km per hour (34 mph) reported.

Their red-brown and white coloration helps them to hide in the tall grass where they forage for food. Both males and females have a black face with a thin white moustache.

Patas monkeys are found in across central Africa, between the Sahara in the north and the equatorial rain forests in the south.