Mandrill: Africa's Colorful Monkey

The mandrill is one of the most colorful mammals alive.

Mandrills are large Old World monkeys native to west central Africa.

Male mandrills are larger and have longer canine teeth than females.

Mandrill males have the brightest colors and longest canine teeth.

Mandrills live in huge, stable groups called hordes with hundreds inside.

Females form the core of hordes; males join only to breed.

Mandrills prefer tropical rainforests but travel across savannas as well.

Mandrills mainly eat fruit and seeds but also leaves and small animals.

Adult males can bite through hard seed shells with their strong teeth.

Mandrills spend about ten hours awake each day, mostly on the ground.

Mandrills mark trees with chest gland secretions to signal sex and rank.

Leopards prey on mandrills; eagles mainly threaten young mandrills.

Mandrill faces show red and blue skin supported by ridged bones.

Blue and red colors help males stand out in the dense forest.

Mandrills live 12 to 14 years in the wild.