About Erythrocebus patas (Schreber, 1774)
The male common patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas) reaches a head-and-body length of 60 cm (24 in) to 87 cm (34 in), not including its 75 cm (30 in) long tail. Adult males are noticeably larger than adult females; females have an average head-and-body length of 49 cm (19 in). On average, adult males weigh 12.4 kg (27.3 lb) and adult females weigh 6.5 kg (14.3 lb), which demonstrates a very high level of sexual dimorphism. Among all African long-tailed monkeys, male common patas monkeys have the longest canine teeth, and canine size helps determine social ranking (pecking order) among males. This species can reach running speeds of 55 km/h (34 mph), making it the fastest primate on Earth. Common patas monkeys can live up to around 20 years in the wild. The species naturally occupies dry, open woodland habitats across large areas of central, western, and eastern Africa. A population of common patas monkeys has also been introduced to Puerto Rico, where it is classified as an invasive species.
