Talapoin

Talapoin
Talapoins[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Miopithecus
I. Geoffroy, 1842
Type species
Miopithecus talapoin
Schreber
Species

Miopithecus talapoin
Miopithecus ogouensis

Talapoins are the two species of Old World monkeys classified in genus Miopithecus. They live in central Africa and their range extends from Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Angola.

With a typical length of 32 to 45 cm and a weight of approximately 1.3 kg (males) and 0.8 kg (females), the talapoins are the smallest Old World monkeys. Their fur is grey green on top and colored whitish on their underside, much like the vervet monkeys. The head is round and short-snouted with a hairless face.

Talapoins are diurnal and arboreal, preferring rain forest or mangroves near water. They are usually not found in open fields, nor do they seem to be disrupted by humans. Like Allen's swamp monkey, they can swim well and look in the water for food.

These animals live in large groups of 60 to 100 animals. They congregate at night in trees close to the water, dividing into smaller sub-groups during the day in order to spread out to find food. Groups are composed of several fully mature males, numerous females and their offspring. Unlike the closely related guenons, they do not have any territorial behaviors. Their vocal repertoire is smaller as well.

Talapoins are omnivores, their diet consisting mainly of fruits, seeds, aquatic plants, insects, shellfish, bird eggs and small vertebrates.

Their 160-day gestation period (typically from November to March) results in the birth of a single young. Offspring are considerably large and well developed (newborns weigh over 200 g and are about a quarter of the weight of the mother) and develop rapidly. Within six weeks they eat solid food, and at three months of age they are independent. The highest recorded age of an animal in captivity was 28 years, while the life expectancy in the wild is not well known.

Species

References

  1. ^ a b Groves, Colin P. (16 November 2005). "GENUS Miopithecus". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 165-166. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=12100577. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • talapoin — ● talapoin nom masculin (portugais tala p�o, de l ancien birman tala poi, monseigneur) Nom donné aux moines bouddhistes de la Birmanie et de la Thaïlande par les Européens, au XVII et au XVIIIe s. Petit cercopithèque d Afrique occidentale, aux… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Talapoin — Tal a*poin (t[a^]l [.a]*poin), n. (Zo[ o]l.) A small African monkey ({Cercopithecus talapoin} or {Miopithecus talapoin}) called also {melarhine}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Talapoin — Tal a*poin (t[a^]l [.a]*poin), n. [Pg. talapoi, talapoin, name for Buddhist priest, fr. Siamese t ama p r[a^]; t ama, honorific title + p r[a^] priest.] A Buddhist monk or priest. [Ceylon & Indo China] [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Talapoin — Talapoin, Art der Meerkatzen, s.d. 2) C) f) …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Talapoin —  Ne doit pas être confondu avec Talapoin du Nord. Talapoin …   Wikipédia en Français

  • talapoin — /tal euh poyn /, n. a small, yellowish guenon monkey, Micropithecus (Cercopithecus) talapoin, of western Africa. [1580 90; < F, special use (orig. jocular) of talapoin Buddhist monk < Mon toela p n (written tila puin) Buddha, lit., the Lord of… …   Universalium

  • talapoin — nykštukinė markata statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Cercopithecus talapoin angl. dwarf guenon; talapoin monkey vok. Zwerg Meerkatze rus. крошечная мартышка; мартышка талапойн pranc. talapoin ryšiai:… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • talapoin — /ˈtæləpɔɪn/ (say taluhpoyn) noun a small, yellowish monkey, Cercopithecus talapoin, of western Africa, the smallest of the guenons. {French: Buddhist monk, talapoin (from fancied resemblance), from Portuguese, from Mon (Talaing) tala pôi my lord} …  

  • talapoin — [ taləpɔɪn] noun 1》 a Buddhist monk or priest. 2》 a small West African monkey. [Miopithecus talapoin.] Origin C16: from Port. talapão, from Mon tala pói, lit. lord of merit …   English new terms dictionary

  • talapoin — žalioji markata statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Cercopithecus aethiops angl. grass monkey; green monkey; grivet; grivet monkey; savanna monkey; talapoin; vervet monkey vok. Grünaffe; grüne Meerkatze… …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”