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An Angolan colobus monkey with black fur and long white shoulder fur sitting on a branch.
Photo: Ryan E. Poplin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Angolan Colobus Monkey

Colobus angolensis

A black-and-white leaf-eating monkey of central Africa with a long, bushy-tipped tail and babies that are born all white.

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About the Angolan Colobus Monkey

Angolan colobus monkeys live across central Africa, from Gabon and Cameroon east to Ethiopia and south to Tanzania. They live in rainforests, mountain and bamboo forests, and sometimes savannas and swamps. They eat mostly leaves, plus fruit and flowers. Their tails, up to 35 inches long, help them balance as they move quickly through the trees.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Colobus angolensis[1]
Size
Up to 30 inches long, plus a tail up to 35 inches.[1]
Weight
15 to 30 pounds. Males are larger.[1]
Diet
Herbivore. Mostly leaves, plus fruit and flowers.[1]
Habitat
Lowland rainforests, mountain and bamboo forests, sometimes savannas and swamps.[1]
Where it lives
Central Africa, from Gabon and Cameroon to Ethiopia and south to Tanzania.[1]
Group life
Troops of up to 25 with one dominant male. Active during the day.[1]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts five to seven months. Usually one baby, born white.[1]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Colobus babies are born pure white.[1]
  • "Colobus" means "short" or "incomplete," because these monkeys have tiny thumbs.[1]
  • A threatened troop's male jumps and roars until the others have fled.[1]

Vocabulary

troop
A group of monkeys or other primates that live together.
mantle
Long fur that drapes over the shoulders like a cape.
Old World monkey
A monkey from Africa or Asia.
herbivore
An animal that eats only plants.
vulnerable
A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Angolan Colobus Monkey.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/angolan-colobus-monkey/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Colobus angolensis (Angolan Colobus).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/5142/17945007 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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