Colobus

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Colobus

 

a genus of monkeys of the subfamily Colobinae. The body measures 43–70 cm in length, and the tail 55–90 cm. The body is slender, with silky fur. The nasal septum is comparatively broad, and the nose protrudes. The coloring of the fur varies greatly. The best-known species are the guereza (C. guereza), the black and white colobus monkey (C. polykomos), and the red and black colobus monkey (C. badius). The genus is distributed in Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia and southward to Angola and Tanzania. The monkeys live in small groups in tall trees and feed on leaves and fruits.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.