Lophocebus johnstoni (Lydekker, 1900)

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Cercopithecidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 550-755 : 656-657

34.

Johnston's Mangabey

Lophocebus johnstoni

French: Lophocébe de Johnston / German: Graumantelmangabe / Spanish: Mangabey de Johnston

Other common names: Johnston's Crested Mangabey

Taxonomy. Semnocebus albigena johnstoni Lydekker, 1900 ,

Congo-Zaire, near Lake Tanganyika. Restricted by Lorenz von Liburnau in 1917 to Semliki or Ituri Forest, and the type locality was fixed by E. Schwarz in 1910 to (present-day) Burundi, north-east of Lake Tanganyika.

L. johnston: was first described as a subspecies of L. albigena , but C. P. Groves, in reviewing the taxonomy of the genus in 2007, considered it to be a full species. He also separated part of the L. johnstoni population as L. ugandae . Whether L. johnston: intergrades with L. ugandae is not known. Monotypic.

Distribution. DR Congo (E and S of the Ubangi River and N of the Congo River), W Rwanda, and W Burundi; possibly in NW Uganda (W of the Albert Nile) and in the Republic of South Sudan.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 45-73 cm (males) and 50-56 cm (females), tail 73-100 cm (males) and 67-80 cm (females); weight 6.1-9 kg (males) and 4.7-6.5 kg (females). Johnston's Mangabey is a slender crested mangabey ( Lophocebus ), with relatively long extremities and a long tail. Fur is darkish brown to black, dorsally and ventrally. Mantle is a slightly lighter, gray-brown. Crown hairs are swept back, with long eyebrow tufts (“horns”), and cheeks are light gray-brown passing to white inferiorly, but very thinly haired. Albinism is common.

Habitat. Primary and secondary tropical, semi-deciduous forest.

Food and Feeding. The diet ofJohnston’s Mangabey is undoubtedly similar to other crested mangabeys and probably includes seeds as a major component, along with fruits, young leaves, bark, flowers, and animal prey (invertebrates and small vertebrates).

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. Johnston’s Mangabeys are diurnal and arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In the Ituri Forest in the DR Congo, group size is 6-14 individuals, with an abundance estimate of 6-9 ind/km. In lowland areas of Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, they are more abundant, estimated at 15-9 ind/ km with an average group size of 21-4 individuals. In most of its distribution, it is sympatric with the Agile Mangabey ( Cercocebus agilis ) and is often found in polyspecific associations with colobines and arboreal guenons.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List (under L. albigena ). Johnston’s Mangabey is listed as Class B in the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. It is hunted for food in some areas and occasionally shot as a crop pest. It has become scarce in several protected areas because of the civil war and rebel and military occupation ofits forests. Johnstons Mangabey is known to occur in a number of protected areas: Kibira National Park in Burundi; Bomu Wildlife Reserve, Yangambi Reserve, Maiko National Park, [turi Forest, Okapi Faunal Reserve, Kahuzi-Biéga National Park and Virunga National Park in the DR Congo; Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda; and probably Ajai Game Reserve in Uganda. A reassessment of the distribution and conservation status ofJohnston’s Mangabey is urgently needed.

Bibliography. Amsini et al. (2008), Chapman et al. (1999), Colyn (1987, 1988, 1994), Fleagle (1999), Gautier-Hion et al. (1999), Gevaerts (1992), Groves (1978, 2001, 2005b, 2007a), Grubb (2006), Hall et al. (2002/2003), Hart & Hall (1996), Hart & Sikubwabo (1994), Hart & Thomas (1986), Hill (1974), Jolly (2007), Kingdon (1997), Lorenz von Liburnau (1917), McGraw et al. (2012), Mwanza & Yamagiwa (1989), Rahm (1965), Schwarz (1910), Swedell (2011), Thomas (1991), Yamagiwa et al. (1989).

Figures

On following pages: 16. Arunachal Macaque (Macaca munzala); 17. Tibetan Macaque (Macaca thibetana); 18. Stump-tailed Macaque Macaca arctoides); 19. Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis); 20. Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta); 21. Japanese Macaque (Macaca fuscata); 22. Taiwanese Macaque (Macaca cyclopis).

Distribution. DR Congo (E and S of the Ubangi River and N of the Congo River), W Rwanda, and W Burundi; possibly in NW Uganda (W of the Albert Nile) and in the Republic of South Sudan.