Primate of the Week

Mountain Gorilla

2008-12-31T20:26:00.001-08:00

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.

Western Lowland Gorilla

2008-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

Chimpanzee

2008-06-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)

2008-05-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra)

2008-05-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra)

De Brazza Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus)

2008-04-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

De Brazza Monkey - adult male

Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator)

2008-03-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

Emperor Tamarin Saguinus imperator

Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)

2008-03-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus

White-collared Mangabey

2008-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

White-collared Mangabey

White-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar)

2008-02-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

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.

Drill

2008-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

Western Lowland Gorilla

2008-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

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."

Siamang

2008-01-20T21:34:00.001-08:00

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

Brown Capuchin Monkey

2008-01-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

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

Patas Monkey - Erythrocebus patas

2008-01-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

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.

Lowland Gorilla - Silverback

2007-12-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

The adult male lowland gorilla is called a "Silverback" due to the silver-gray hairs on the back. Note the reddish-brown crown on the head which is distinctive of lowland gorillas - especially the adult males.

Western gorillas live in lowland, swamp, and montane forests of equatorial west Africa. Gorillas can live between 30 and 40 years in the wild.