The common patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas), also known as the hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa, and into East Africa. There is some confusion surrounding if there are valid subspecies, with some listing four, others three, and others listing two: the western Erythrocebus patas patas (with a black nose) and the eastern E. patas pyrrhonotus (with a white nose). However, it was later discovered that the nose colour used to separate these subspecies could change to white during pregnancy in females, as well as in general as animals aged, and E. patas pyrrhonotus in Kenya often did not have white noses, thus Mammal Species of the World has classified E. patas as a monotypic species. Males have a shaggy reddish coat with a white mustache and long legs, while females have a less striking appearance. They can reach speeds of up to 55 km/h. Patas monkeys thrive in open grasslands, savannas, and woodlands, often found in areas adjacent to grassland. They are primarily distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Cameroon. Social Structure: They typically live in groups of 10-40 individuals, consisting of a single dominant male and multiple females. Omnivorous, they forage in open country, and their behavior is characterized by their agility and speed. For more detailed information, you can refer to the sources: Wikipedia, Animalia.bio, and Interesting Animals.
The genus status of the species has previously been in flux. Colin Groves first argued the species was closely related to Cercopithecus aethiops in 1989, based on anatomical morphology. Phylogenetic evidence from 2003 appeared to validate him, finding the patas monkey to form a clade within the vervet genus Cercopithecus together with C. aethiops and C. lhoesti, and based on this study Erythrocebus was proposed to be sunk into synonymy with Cercopithecus. However, more recent studies have found this interpretation of Cercopithecus to be paraphyletic, and thus many species in Cercopithecus have since been reclassified to numerous new genera and species, with C. aethiops moved to Chlorocebus and C. lhoesti to Allochrocebus. Erythrocebus is thus now thought to be a distinct genus. Erythrocebus was previously thought to be a monotypic genus containing only E. patas. However, a 2017 study proposed splitting E. patas into three species (E. patas sensu stricto, E. poliphaeus, and E. baumstarki) based on morphological differences and heavy geographic separation between taxa, with the IUCN Red List and American Society of Mammalogists following through with this. The male common patas monkey grows to 60 cm (24 in) to 87 cm (34 in) in length, excluding the tail, which measures 75 cm (30 in). Adult males are considerably larger than adult females, which average 49 cm (19 in) in length. Adult males average 12.4 kg (27.3 lb) and adult females 6.5 kg (14.3 lb), showing a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Males have the longest canine teeth of all the African long-tailed monkeys and the size of their canines plays a role in establishing a pecking order among males. Reaching speeds of 55 km/h (34 mph), it is the fastest runner among the primates. The life span in the wild can be up to about 20 years.
