Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
12 Ecoloy of the Zanzibar red
colobus monkey,
Colobus badius kirkii
(Gray, 1968), in comparison with
other red colobines
FATINA A. MTURI
areas: habitats that are also reported for the Gam-
bia colobus . b. temminckii (Starin, 1981).
Five allopatric subspecies ofred colobus occur
in East Africa. Three of these are found in easten
African forests (Figure 12.1). These are Colobus
badius rufomitratus
(Peters) in Tana River Forest
Reserve in Kenya; . b. gordonorum (Matschie) in
south central Tanzania (Uzungwa Mountains -
K.ilombero scarp, Mwanihana Forest Reserve,
Magombero Forest Reserve);
. b. kirkii
in
Zanzibar and Uzi islands (Struhsaker, 1975,
1981; Struhsaker & Leland, 1980; Rodgers,
1981). However, a colony of . b. kirkii was also
found in Pemba Island at Ngezi Forest Reserve in
1978 by the Zanzibar Govenment Forestry
Department (see Figure 12.1).
All three red colobus subspecies of eastern
Africa are rare and endangered (Intenational
Union for the Conservation of Nature, 1966,
1986; Kingdon, 1971). . b. kirkii is estimated to
number 1469 animals (Silkiluwasha, 1981). . b.
ruomitratus has decreased to a very criical level
from an esimate of 1246-1796 animals to 300
animals (Marsh, l 978a, 1985). Thus it qualifies
as the rarest and most endangered of the red
colobus subspecies.
Of the other Easten Africa red colobus
subspecies, . b. ruomitratus has been the subject
of several surveys and detailed ecological studies
(Groves, Andrews & Horne, 1974; Andrews,
Groves & Horne, 1975; Marsh, l 978a, b, c,
Introducion
Colobus monkeys belong to the family
Cercopithecidae, subfamily Colobinae. The
actual classiicaion of red colobus at speciic and
subspecific level is equivocal (Verheyen, 1962;
Dandelot, 1968; Rahm, 1970; Kingdon, 1971;
Struhsaker, 1975). For instance, the Zanzibar red
colobus is considered a disinct species by
Verheyen (1962) and Dandelot (1968), while
others classify it at subspecific level (Rahm, 1970;
Kingdon, 1971; Struhsaker, 1975). This problem
arises as a result of the allopatric distribution and
high ainiies of the red colobus. The classiica-
tion adopted in this chapter follows that of Rahm
(1970), Struhsaker (1975, 1980), Kingdon (1971,
1981) and Rodgers ( 1981), in which all the 14 red
colobus types are maintained as subspecies of
Colobus badius Kerr.
The 14 subspecies of red colobus occur in a
patch-like allopatric distribution across tropical
Africa from Senegal to Zanzibar (Rahm, 1970;
Kingdon, 1971; Struhsaker, 1975). Most popula-
tions are primarily adapted to mature low and
medium alitude rain, riverine and groundwater
forests (Struhsaker, 1975; Rodgers, 1981).
However, some, such as
Colobus badius temminckii
(Kuhl), also occur in savanna woodland (Struh-
saker, 1975; Starin, 1981). The Zanzibar red col-
obus are also found in mangrove forest, thickets
of secondary growth and sometimes in culivated
243
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