Vervet monkey

Behavior and diet

The vervet monkey is a small, grayish-white monkey with a black face. It is found along the eastern coast of Africa and prefers savannah and woodland to rainforests. Vervet monkeys are social animals that live in large groups called troops. There is a social hierarchy that determines feeding, groom and breeding status. Each troop has one alpha male and only the alpha male is allowed to mate. The next-in-line is the beta male, and he acts as the sentry for the troop. Vervets are diurnal animals that are primarily herbivores, feeding on leaves, fruits, shoots and seeds. But, they have been known to eat eggs, insects and even small rodents. Gestation time for females is seven months, with one young being the normal number per birth