Vervet Monkey
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[Photo] Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). Photo of Vervet taken in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Date 23 January 2005. Photo by Alexander Landfair (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Xlandfair). License: public domain

The Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), or just simply Vervet, is an African Old World monkey species that is classified into the family Cercopithecidae. The term "vervet" can also refer to all of the members of their genus, Chlorocebus.

Vervets are commonly found around South Africa, where they are classified as vermin. Sources indicate that these monkeys must go through life in constant danger of being killed by people. In South Africa, these creatures can be killed in any method without previously obtaining a permit.

The Vervet Monkey inhabits savanna and mountains up to 4000 m. Males vary in size from 45 to 85 cm and weigh between 3.5 to 7.5 kg, while females, range from 40 to 60 cm in size and between 2.5 to 5.5 kg in weight. Both have the tail lengths that can vary from 50 to 115 cm.

The Vervet Monkey is mainly frugivorous, but it also supplements its diet with a variety of other foods, including leaves, seeds, insects and small rodents. It lives in groups that of 20 or more, however sizes are often smaller. Its gestation period is 7 months with a single offspring produced and is known to have a life span of up to 20 years.

One interesting phenomenon about the Vervet Monkey is that it seems to possess what has been called the "rudiments of language". Vervet Monkey alarm calls vary greatly depending on the different types of threats to the community. There are distinct calls to warn of invading leopards, snakes, and eagles.

The pigmentation of the Vervet Monkey's scrotum is a vivid blue that pales when the animal falls in social rank. The hydration of the scrotal skin controls its color.

Classification
There are five distinct subspecies of Vervet Monkeys:

Chlorocebus pygerythrus hilgerti
Chlorocebus pygerythrus excubitor
Chlorocebus pygerythrus nesiotes
Chlorocebus pygerythrus rufoviridis
Chlorocebus pygerythrus pygerythrus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vervet_Monkey

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