The Angolan talapoin (Miopithecus talapoin), also known as the southern talapoin, is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. Talapoins are the smallest species of Old-World monkeys.
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Introduced Mammals of the World: Their History, Distribution and Influence. sample Csiro Publishing, Collingwood, Australia. Unlike the related Angolan talapoin, the Gabon talapoin has flesh-coloured (not blackish) ears and facial skin.
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The Gabon talapoin (Miopithecus ogouensis), also known as the northern talapoin, is a small species of African monkey in the family Cercopithecidae. It is found in riparian habitats in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and western Republic of the Congo and far western Democratic Republic of Congo. It may have been introduced to Fernando Poo and the Canary Islands.Long, J. L. (2003).
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Talapoin is a 16th- century French word for a Buddhist monk, from Portuguese talapão, from Mon tala pōi "our lord"; originally jocular, from the appearance of the monkey.
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The Angolan talapoin is limited to dense evergreen vegetation on the banks of rivers that often flow through miombo (Brachystegia) woodland or, as that is cleared, areas under cultivation.
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The talapoin is a monkey named after Buddhist monks just as the capuchin monkey is named after the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (who also are the origin of the word cappuccino).
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Each group normally consists of several fully mature males, many females and their offspring. Angolan talapoins do not show any territoriality, which is unlike their close relatives the guenons. They seem to enjoy play and this mostly takes place between juveniles, however, the males tend to engage in social play more often than female. The home ranges of the Angola talapoin are likely to be larger, and the population densities lower, than is the case with Gabon talapoin because forest strips are narrower and resources scarcer.
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The Angolan talapoin is both diurnal and mainly arboreal, they occasionally descend to the ground while foraging. They are proficient swimmers and a common defensive strategy is to sleep on branches overhanging rivers so that they can dive into the water escape from danger. The social organisation of the Angola talapoin is that they live in quite large groups of 60 to 100 animals. At night the group is gathered together in trees close to the water, splitting up into smaller sub-groups in the morning so that they can spread out to forage.
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While better known than the Angolan talapoin, and recognized as distinct as far back as 1969, the Gabon talapoin remained unnamed until 1997. Kingdon pointed out that the presently used binomial, where the specific name is a reference to the Ogoue River, is a nomen nudum: : A nomen nudum, 'Miopithecus ogouensis' is used here [in Kingdon's book] in anticipation of a formal description. However, it can be argued that his description is valid per ICZN rules, as he included an illustration (thereby possibly providing a valid type), a description, and specifically said the name was intended for this new species, leading later authorities to accept it.
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A bonze farmer In English literature before the mid-20th century, Buddhist monks were often referred to by the term bonze, particularly when describing monks from East Asia and French Indochina. This term is derived Portuguese and French . It is rare in modern literature.Dictionary.com: bonze Buddhist monks were once called talapoy or talapoin , itself , ultimately .
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The fluctuations in climate since the last glaciation have probably reinforced this species' primary adaptation to 'strip living' as longer dry seasons and less extensive flooding under the generally cooler and drier climate that now dominates outside the rainforest seems to have favoured more terrestrial habits than are apparent in the Gabon talapoin. It mainly feeds on fruits, but also on seeds, young foliage, and invertebrates.
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Chronic physiological stress resulting from aggression by dominant toward subordinate individuals is thought to be a major cause of delayed maturation and suppressed ovulation in subordinate individuals of a wide range of species. In response to stress the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis) is activated, producing high concentrations of circulating adrenal glucocorticoids (GC) which, when chronically present, negatively influence an animal's health and can lead to reproductive suppression in male marmots (Marmota marmota), and blocks of ovulatory cycles of female talapoin monkeys (Miopithecus talapoin), meerkats (Suricata suricatta) and marmots. In cooperatively breeding meerkats (Suricata suricatta) the dominant breeding female is the oldest and heaviest female who is highly aggressive toward subordinate females during the breeding season and temporarily evicts subordinate females from the group. Evicted subordinates suffer repeated attacks during the later stages of the breeding female's pregnancy and showed GC levels two times higher than normal.
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The region has been insufficiently researched by zoologists but is known to be home to forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) (which may have been reduced by poaching, especially near the larger rivers), and several primates, including the rare bonobo (Pan paniscus). The Congo is a natural barrier to movement of wildlife and many species only occur on this eastern side of the river, including many primates: the bonobo and also Angolan colobus (Colobus angolensis), Wolf's mona monkey (Cercopithecus wolfi), golden-bellied mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus chrysogaster), black mangabey (Lophocebus atterimus aterrimus), southern talapoin (Miopithecus talapoin) and the Dryas monkey (Cercopithecus dryas). Near-endemic mammals include Hutterer's brush-furred mouse (Lophuromys huttereri), Allen's striped bat (Chalinolobus alboguttatus), and Muton's soft- furred mouse (Praomys mutoni). These rainforests are rich in birdlife including the Congo sunbird (Cinnyris congensis), African river martin (Pseudochelidon eurystomina) and Congo martin (Riparia congica).
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Phylogenetically, they are more closely related to apes than to New World monkeys. They diverged from a common ancestor of New World monkeys around 55 million years ago. The smallest Old World monkey is the talapoin, with a head and body 34–37 cm in length, and weighing between 0.7 and 1.3 kg. The largest is the male mandrill, around 70 cm in length, and weighing up to 50 kg.
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The Angolan talapoin occurs in the coastal watersheds south of the Congo River, including the Mebridege River, Loge River, Cuanza River, Nhia River and Cuvo River, they also extend into the upper reaches of the Cuango River. This species is found on the coast of Angola, south to about 13'S, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as far as the Cuango River and on both sides of the Kasai River.
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Old World monkey is the common English name for a family of primates known taxonomically as the Cercopithecidae. Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons (genus Papio) and macaques (genus Macaca). Common names for other Old World monkeys include the talapoin, guenon, colobus, douc (douc langur, genus Pygathrix), vervet, gelada, mangabey (a group of genera), langur, mandrill, surili (Presbytis), patas, and proboscis monkey.
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Old World monkeys are medium to large in size, and range from arboreal forms, such as the colobus monkeys, to fully terrestrial forms, such as the baboons. The smallest is the talapoin, with a head and body 34–37 cm in length, and weighing between 0.7 and 1.3 kilograms, while the largest is the male mandrill (the females of the species being significantly smaller), at around 70 cm in length, and weighing up to 50 kilograms.
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The fur of the Angolan talapoin is coarsely banded yellow-and-black on the back and flanks and white or greyish white on the chest and belly. The head is round and short-snouted with a hairless face which has a black nose skin bordering the face. The scrotum is coloured pink medially and blue laterally. They show mild sexual dimorphism in body size, the average head and body length is , the average tail length is and the average weight is for males and for females.
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The number of gorillas in Odzala- Kokoua has since increased, following efforts by conservation organizations and at least one tourism company to preserve and rehabilitate the park. A survey of diurnal primates, conducted during the mid 1990s, showed significant monkey populations in Republic of the Congo's forest region. Sighted species included the western lowland gorilla and central chimpanzee, as well as eight monkeys: Angolan talapoin, black crested mangabey, crested mona monkey, De Brazza's monkey, greater spot-nosed monkey, mantled guereza, moustached guenon, and Tana River mangabey. The number of gorilla nests were highest in the park's open-canopy Marantaceae forest; chimpanzee nests were most abundant in closed-canopy primary and Marantaceae forests.
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