Tantalus Monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus)

Tantalus Monkey in the Pendjari National Park, Benin

The Tantalus Monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus) is a small monkey occurring in parts of West and Central Africa (from Ghana and Burkina Faso eastwards to southern Sudan, Uganda, and northwestern Kenya). Throughout this range, the animals inhabit woodlands, savannahs, and forest mosaics. They feed mostly on plant parts including fruits, buds, seeds, roots, and bark, but insects, small vertebrates, and eggs are also taken. The monkeys are diurnal and live in groups of up to 80 individuals. I took the photograph in this post during a drive through the Pendjari National Park in northern Benin in February 2012.