Fun Lesula Monkey Facts For Kids

The lesula monkey (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) is a fairly new species of monkey that was discovered in 2007. They are endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo and can be found living in rainforests. They are mostly terrestrial, however they can be found in the mid-level of the forest canopy, perching on tree branches while partaking in grooming and feeding.As they are a fairly new species of monkey, not much is known about them. Despite being unknown to the world until 2007, they were known to the locals of the Democratic Republic of Congo who kept them as pets and hunted them as a source of food. As their numbers were observed to be quite low at the time of discovery, they were labeled as Vulnerable and efforts are currently being taken for their conservation.To learn more about this fascinating new monkey, read on! For more relatable content, check out these talapoin monkey facts and green monkey facts for kids.

What do they prey on? Fruits, leaves, and arrowhead plant flowers

What do they eat? Herbivore

Average litter size? 1

How much do they weigh? 8.8 -15.6 lb (4-7.1 kg)

How long are they? 18.5-25.6 in (47-65 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Black, blond and gray fur, human-like eyes, and blue hairless bottom

Skin Type Fur

What were their main threats? Hunting

What is their conservation status? Vulnerable

Where you’ll find them? Rainforests

Locations Democratic Republic Of Congo, Lomami Basin

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Cercopithecus

Class Mammalia

Family Cercopithecidae

Lesula Monkey Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a lesula monkey?The lesula monkey (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) is a new species of monkey, belonging to the Cercopithecidae family.What class of animal does a lesula monkey belong to?Being a primate, this new species of monkey belongs to the class Mammalia.How many lesula monkeys are there in the world?Though the exact population of the lesula monkey is unknown, its current population is estimated to be over 10,000 individuals in the wild.Where does a lesula monkey live?The lesula monkey is endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo. This monkey is mostly found in the forests of the Lomami Basin in the central Republic of Congo. The distribution of these monkeys can mostly be seen in the area between the Lomami River and the Tshuapa River. Efforts are being taken to introduce them to the National Lomami Reserve for conservation of the species.What is a lesula monkey’s habitat?The lesula monkey can be found living mostly in the central Republic of Congo. Its habitat is mainly humid, leafy rainforests.Who do lesula monkeys live with?These monkeys can either be found traveling alone or with other monkeys in groups smaller than five. Though they are quite shy in behavior, they have been observed to participate in multi-species groups with other monkeys.How long does a lesula monkey live?Though it is uncertain for how long this new monkey species lives, its sister species, the owl-faced monkey, has been reported to live for about 27 years on average in good conditions. We can assume that this monkey lives for about the same amount of time.How do they reproduce?Though the reproduction habits of these primates are largely unknown, it is speculated that they breed from May to October or November. Being mammals, a male and female engage in mating after which the female develops the young inside her body before giving birth to a live baby monkey. The gestation period lasts for five to six months after which the female gives birth to one baby monkey.What is their conservation status?According to the IUCN Red List, this monkey is currently listed as a Vulnerable species. These low numbers are due to it being a popular target for hunting by the locals who consume it as bush meat. As this species was discovered relatively late, no measures were being taken to preserve its numbers. It is proposed that this monkey should be moved to the Lomami National Park, where this species as well as others can be protected against further deterioration.Lesula Monkey Fun Facts What do lesula monkeys look like?These monkeys are easily recognized by their eerily human-like eyes which have not been observed in many other species. They are medium-sized monkeys and have blond fur from their chins down to their chests. The rest of their bodies is covered in black fur, with the exception of their thighs which are silvery gray. Their tails are long and yellow amber in color, ending with a black tip. Their bottoms are hairless and blue in color, making them easily recognizable. Their faces are hairless and are usually pinkish gray.*Please note the main image and this image are of a Macaque Monkey that belongs to the same family as the Lesula Monkey. If you have an image of a Lesula Monkey please let us know at [email protected].How cute are they?With their human-like eyes and flat faces with large noses, these monkeys are not considered very attractive in appearance. Baby lesula monkeys can be quite cute, however, adult lesula monkeys are not.How do they communicate?Though these monkeys are shy in nature, they are quite vocal with members of their own species. Not much is yet known about the nature of their calls, however, like other monkey species, they communicate mostly verbally and with various gestures, each relaying different messages according to the tone and intensity. They are known to be most vocal during the dawn.How big is a lesula monkey?Lesula monkeys have been observed to measure between the range 18.5-25.6 in (47-65 cm), not including the length of their tails. They are bigger than Colobus monkeys.How fast can a lesula monkey move?These animals are mostly terrestrial and have been observed to be quite stationary. They are slow-moving and engage in relaxing activities most of the time such as grooming, foraging, and sleeping. The only times they have been observed to move fast was when climbing trees or fleeing from attacks by predators.How much does a lesula monkey weigh?Lesula monkeys have been observed to weigh between the range 8.8 -15.6 lb (4-7.1 kg) on average, with the males being slightly larger than the females.What are the male and female names of the species?There are no specific names for either sex of these animals, simply being called male and female lesula monkeys.What would you call a baby lesula monkey?Baby lesula monkeys are called infants.What do they eat?These monkeys are frugivorous in nature, mostly feeding on naturally occurring fruits, vegetables, and leaves in the forest. These animals are particularly fond of the blossoms of the arrowhead plant and are not biased when it comes to the ripeness of fruits and vegetables. They are known as natural dispersers of seeds due to their herbivorous diet, helping to spread fruit seeds across the forest.Are they dangerous?No, these monkeys are actually quite shy and demure in behavior. They are not known to be aggressive towards humans. Adult males may bully the juveniles at times, otherwise, these monkeys are usually very calm and get along well with primates from other species as well.Would they make a good pet?Though lesulas have been kept as pets by the locals of the Central Republic of Congo, it is probably not a good idea to introduce this monkey as a pet in an urban setting in the rest of the world. As wild monkeys, they require forests and a large number of trees to swing about in and conduct their daily activities. As they are decreasing in number as well and are listed as Vulnerable, it is unwise to keep them as pets and efforts must be taken to increase their population in the wild instead.Did you know…Though not much is known about this new species of monkey, they are quite similar to the owl-faced monkey. We can assume that most of their habits and characteristics are similar as well, which will help us to understand this new monkey better.They are endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo, meaning they cannot be found anywhere else in the world. They are diurnal in nature, meaning they are active in the forest during the day and rest at night.Their hairless blue bottoms and large human-like eyes are what make them so easily recognizable.Where was the lesula monkey found?The lesula monkey is a relatively new species of monkey, only being discovered in June of 2007. This monkey went by largely unknown to the global masses until the discovery of a pet female in the village of Opala, as the species was known to the locals of the area. After some long-term research by the international scientific community, it was formally introduced as a species in 2012.Do monkeys in Africa have tails?Yes, all Old World monkey species of the world including the lesula monkey have tails. While differentiating between monkeys and apes, both types of primates, we can identify monkeys due to the presence of a tail which apes seem to lack. The only exception to this is the Barbary macaque which is tailless despite being considered as a monkey.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our howler monkey interesting facts and macaque monkey fun facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable monkey yawning coloring pages.

What type of animal is a lesula monkey?

The lesula monkey (Cercopithecus lomamiensis) is a new species of monkey, belonging to the Cercopithecidae family.

Fun Lesula Monkey Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Fruits, leaves, and arrowhead plant flowers

What do they eat? Herbivore

Average litter size? 1

How much do they weigh? 8.8 -15.6 lb (4-7.1 kg)

How long are they? 18.5-25.6 in (47-65 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Black, blond and gray fur, human-like eyes, and blue hairless bottom

Skin Type Fur

What were their main threats? Hunting

What is their conservation status? Vulnerable

Where you’ll find them? Rainforests

Locations Democratic Republic Of Congo, Lomami Basin

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Cercopithecus

Class Mammalia

Family Cercopithecidae

Fun Lesula Monkey Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Fruits, leaves, and arrowhead plant flowers

What do they eat? Herbivore

Average litter size? 1

How much do they weigh? 8.8 -15.6 lb (4-7.1 kg)

How long are they? 18.5-25.6 in (47-65 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Black, blond and gray fur, human-like eyes, and blue hairless bottom

Skin Type Fur

What were their main threats? Hunting

What is their conservation status? Vulnerable

Where you’ll find them? Rainforests

Locations Democratic Republic Of Congo, Lomami Basin

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Cercopithecus

Class Mammalia

Family Cercopithecidae

Fun Lesula Monkey Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Fruits, leaves, and arrowhead plant flowers

What do they eat? Herbivore

Average litter size? 1

How much do they weigh? 8.8 -15.6 lb (4-7.1 kg)

How long are they? 18.5-25.6 in (47-65 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Black, blond and gray fur, human-like eyes, and blue hairless bottom

Skin Type Fur

What were their main threats? Hunting

What is their conservation status? Vulnerable

Where you’ll find them? Rainforests

Locations Democratic Republic Of Congo, Lomami Basin

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Cercopithecus

Class Mammalia

Family Cercopithecidae