Medium-sized primate, with olive-grey fur on the back and white on the belly, a black face framed by white hair forming a fringe, and a long, non-prehensile tail. Males have a bright blue scrotum and a red penis, a striking and diagnostic feature among African primates in its range. It is confused with other African green monkeys, with which it was previously grouped as a single species.
Tracks show 5 toes, with fore and hind tracks appearing almost like miniature human hands and feet. Hind tracks are 6-8 cm long.
Irregular droppings, containing seed and plant fibre remains, are left scattered under roosting trees.
Its presence is mainly revealed by its highly varied alarm calls, which differ depending on the predator (eagle, snake or leopard), by branches shaking as a group moves, and by remains of nibbled fruit under trees.
Wooded savanna, gallery forest and forest edge, with good water availability, from sea level to mid-mountain areas. Widely distributed throughout East and Southern Africa.
Opportunistic omnivore: fruit, leaves, seeds, insects, eggs and, near human settlements, crops and food scraps.
Highly social, the Vervet Monkey lives in groups of several related females, their young and several males, with strict dominance hierarchies. Young males emigrate from their natal group upon reaching maturity, while females remain for their entire lives.
It maintains widespread and locally abundant populations throughout most of its range, though with localised declines due to conflict with agriculture in some regions.
Persecution due to crop damage, capture for the pet trade and for biomedical research in some areas, and loss of gallery forest due to agricultural expansion.
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