Vervet Monkeys - The Least Concern Primates

Primates occur in the tropic and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and South and Central America. Most species are found in tropical rainforests. The number of species found in a tropical area has been correlated to the amount of rainfall and the amount of rainforest area (Reed & Fleagle 1995). But there are species of non-human primates found outside tropical regions like the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) that inhabits the mountains North of Honshu in Japan (Maruhashi, 2006) and the Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) that lives in the Atlas mountains in Algeria (Ménard & Vallet, 2005) and Moroco (Mehlman, 2005).

Primates evolved from arboreal animals (Hunt et al., 1996; Schmitt & Lemelin 2002; Napier, 2005) and most primates are still arboreal (Cant 2005), living most of their lives in the trees like gibbons (Hylobatidae) (Yamazaki & Ishida, 1984; Swartz et al., 1989), Orangutans (Pongidae), spider monkeys (Ateles spp.), howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.) (Cant, 1986). Others are semi-terrestrial and quadrupedal (Rose, 1973) like baboons (Papio spp.) (Hall, 2009), vervets (Chlorocebus spp.) (Tosi et al., 2004 and, patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas). There are also primate species that are completely terrestrial, like geladas (Theropithecus gelada) (Iwamoto, 1993) and humans (Homo sapiens).

Neotropical Primates

African Primates

Asian Primates