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Black colobus monkey edit
The black colobus (Colobus satanas) or Satanic black colobus is a species of Old World monkey belonging to the genus Colobus. The black colobus is found in a small area of western central Africa and is a large species with completely black fur. The black colobus monkey has faced large declines in population due to habitat destruction and hunting by humans, and was consequently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 1994.

Taxonomy
The black colobus monkey is one of five recognised species in the Colobus genus. The black colobuses are the oldest species in the genera and are thought to have diverged 3-4 million years ago.

There are two subspecies of black colobus monkey:
 * Colobus satanas satanas – Bioko black colobus (Waterhouse 1838)
 * Colobus satanas anthracinus – Gabon black colobus (Le Conte, 1857)

Etymology
The word  'Colobus'  comes from the Greek word for 'mutilated', as all Colobus monkeys only have a short stump where the thumb would be. The word  'satanas'  means 'the accuser' or 'the devil' in Greek.

Description
The black colobus monkey is a large species with a head-body length of 50-70cm and a long tail of around 80cm. As in all Colobus species, the black colobus has a slender build and ischial callosities - tough pads of skin on the rump. There is little sexual dimorphism between the two sexes - adult males can weigh between 10-15kg, whilst females weigh between 10-11kg. The black colobus is covered in black fur apart from the ears and face, and has longer hairs on its cheeks and forehead. Unlike other species of colobus monkey, black colobuses have no white markings. The two subspecies of black colobus look very similar, although the fur of Colobus s. satanas is slightly longer and fluffier.

Distribution and habitat
The black colobus monkey is found in Equatorial Guinea, south west Cameroon and central and north-western Gabon. Small populations may also occur in northern Congo. The subspecies ‘’C.s.satanus’’ is only found on Bioko Island, off the coast of Cameroon. The distribution of the black colobus has decreased dramatically - the species is now rare or absent in some areas of its range due to its habitat being destroyed for logging. Black colobuses are known to live at low densities, but there is currently no total population estimate for the species. One of the largest remaining populations of the species, consisting of 50,000-55,900 individuals, is found in Lope Reserve, Gabon. Other remaining large populations of black colobus monkeys include the Foret des Abeilles in central Gabon and Douala-Edea Reserve in Cameroon.

The black colobus is an arboreal species that lives high in the canopy of dense rainforest and occasionally coastal sand dune or wooded meadows. Black colobuses are unable to survive in secondary forest that has regrown after a major disturbance such as logging and therefore tend to avoid areas populated by humans. The black colobus cannot be bred in captivity due to the food and habitat they require.

Diet
Black colobus monkeys are herbivores and feed predominantly on seeds. They also eat large amounts of leaves, in particular lianas, as well as flowers, buds and unripe fruits. Colobus monkeys preferentially select younger seeds and leaves as these are rich in nutrients and contain lower amounts of digestion-inhibiting compounds such as tannin. However, it has been suggested that the black colobus monkey can withstand higher levels of these poisonous compounds and can therefore eat food that is undigestable to other colobus monkeys. This means they can live in areas unoccupied by other species of colobus monkey. Black colobus monkeys have also been observed eating soil, which may be to ensure they have enough minerals such as sodium in their diet. Due to their high consumption of seeds, black colobus monkeys play an important role as seed dispersers in the ecosystem.

Social structure
Black colobus monkeys live in multi-male groups of 10-20 individuals. The species is territorial and will make loud calls to warn other groups away from the area in which they are feeding. The black colobus call is distinctive from other primate species and sounds like a loud 'sneeze' followed by a roaring noise. Black colobus groups are sometimes joined by single male crested mona monkeys (Cercopithecus pogonias). These individuals take part in black colobus grooming and socialising and are thought integrate themselves into a black colobus group for  protection. Colobus monkeys have been known to respond to crested mona monkey alarm calls.

Activity
Black colobus monkeys are diurnal and spend around 60% of their time resting. The rest of their day is spent feeding, socialising and moving. Black colobuses have large home ranges and will move up to 850 metres each day in search of food.

Reproduction
Black colobus monkeys do not have a specific breeding season, but most mating occurs during rainy times of the year. Males reach sexual maturity at age 6, in females sexual maturity occurs at age 4. Females do not have a sexual swelling as seen in other primate species and give birth to a single baby after a gestation period of around 195 days. Females have a baby every 20 months on average. Black colobus babies are born with brown fur and become black, unlike all other colobus species, which have white offspring. . Allomothering, where other members of the group help mothers to care for their babies, is relatively rare in the black colobus monkey. Black colobus babies are carried around by the mother and spend time playing with other members of the group as they grow up in order to learn and socialise.

Conservation
The black colobus monkey is one of the most threatened primate species in Africa and is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This is because the species’ population has declined by over 30% in the past 30 years. The subspecies C.s.satanas is classified as Endangered as its population has declined by over 60% in the last 30 years. The black colobus monkey is now only found in areas which cannot be easily accessed by humans.

The black colobus monkey has faced population declines due to forest destruction for logging and illegal hunting for the fur trade which began in the 19th century. Due to improved roads and increased wealth in the area, commercial hunting for the species has become more profitable. Today, black colobus monkeys are mainly for traded for their meat and account for 20% of the bushmeat sold in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. One adult black colobus carcass is sold for around US$20.42.

The black colobus monkey is listed under Appendix II of CITES, which restricts international trade of the species. The species is also listed under Class B of the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Further information and data on the species is needed to in order to help conserve the species. Conservation programs such as the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program aim to work with local people to learn more about the black colobus monkey and protect it from extinction.