Mandrill

Mandrillus sphinx

The largest monkey in the world, whose males have a bright red-and-blue face and colorful rump.

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About the Mandrill

Mandrills live in forests of southwestern Cameroon, western Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and southwestern Congo. Males weigh 44 to 62 pounds, while females weigh up to 25. Adult males have a bright red nose, ridged blue cheeks, a yellow beard and a blue-purple rump; females and young are duller. Mandrills eat fruit, roots, leaves, seeds, nuts, fungi, insects and more, and carry food in large cheek pouches.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Mandrillus sphinx^[1]
Weight: Males 44 to 62 pounds. Females up to 25 pounds.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Fruit, roots, leaves, seeds, nuts, fungi, insects, snails and worms.^[1]
Habitat: Subtropical forests.^[1]
Where it lives: Southwestern Cameroon, western Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and southwestern Congo.^[1]
Group life: Family groups of one male and several females, sometimes joining larger troops.^[1]
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).^[2]

Fun facts

Mandrills are the largest monkeys in the world.^[1]
A male's blue face color is part of the skin's structure, not a pigment.^[1]
Mandrills sleep in trees but find most of their food on the ground.^[1]

Vocabulary

troop: A group of monkeys or other primates that live together.
cheek pouch: A stretchy pocket inside the cheek used to carry food.
hormone: A chemical messenger in the body that controls how it works.
intimidate: To frighten someone in order to get your way.
vulnerable: A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · MammalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Mandrill.” https://www.sfzoo.org/mandrill/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Mandrillus sphinx (Mandrill).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12754/17952325 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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