Mandrill

The mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is a species of primate in the Old World monkey family and the largest monkey species. Despte resembling baboons, they are more closely related to mangabeys in the genus, Cercocebus. They are one of the two species in the genus Mandrillus, the other being the drill. Mandrills are found in tropical rainforests in southern Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, and Gabon. They are omnivores with its diet mainly consisting of fruits and insects. Mandrills are noted to be exceptionally colorful by mammal standards, the bright coloration of the mandrill is produced by structural coloration in facial collagen fibers. The mandrills has olive green or dark gray fur with yellow and black bands and a white belly. Its hairless face has a long muzzle with distinctive characteristics, with a red strip down on the middle and protruding blue ridges on the sides. It also has a yellow beard, white tufts, pale pink ischial callosities, and red nostrils and lips. The areas in the gentials and the anus is multi-colored, being red, blue, pink, scarlet, and purple. The coloration is more pronounced on dominant adult males. Both sexes have chest glands that are used for olfactory communication, which is also more pronounced on dominant adult males. Males have larger canine teeth than females, which can be up to 6.50 cm and 1.0 cm respectively.