Tantalus Monkey, Chlorocebus tantalus
TANTALUS MONKEY
Chlorocebus tantalus
Geographic Distribution and Habitat
The tantalus monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus) is an Afro-Eurasian monkey found in the sub-Saharan West Africa. Their range is really impressive as it extends from the Volta River in Ghana to the White Nile in Sudan. They are present in several countries in this area, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya.
The sub-Saharan climate is extremely diverse, but given its location near the tropics, this area is generally characterized by warm to hot weather with distinct dry and wet seasons. However, there are also characteristically arid regions like the Sahel and humid rainforests. Because this species is incredibly adaptable, tantalus monkeys can thrive in different climates despite their extreme diversity. They prefer settling in gallery forests, that is, forests formed as a corridor along rivers or wetlands, but they are found in dry woodlands in northern Nigeria, montane forests in southern Nigeria too, and are even found in urban areas.
The tantalus monkey is one of six closely related species that make up the genus Chlorocebus. Until fairly recently, all of them were lumped together under the general name “vervets,” but they’re now recognized as separate species. The tantalus monkey was mistakenly considered a subspecies of the grivet, Chlorocebus aethiops.
There are currently three recognized subspecies: the common tantalus monkey, Chlorocebus tantalus tantalus, the Budgett’s tantalus monkey, Chlorocebus tantalus budgetti, and the Jebbel Marra tantalus, Chlorocebus tantalus marrensis.
Size, Weight, and Lifespan
The tantalus monkey is a medium-sized primate with a slender appearance. Male and female tantalus monkeys differ in size and have some key differences in their appearance. Head-to-body size in males spans from 17 to 32 inches (44-83 cm), whereas females are significantly smaller, ranging from 11 to 19 inches (30-50 cm). Their tails are quite long, adding an extra 23 inches (60 cm) to their size. Given the larger size of males, it’s not surprising that, on averag,e males are heavier than females. With an average weight of 7.4 pounds (3.36kg) for females and 10.14 pounds (4.6kg) for males, the tantalus monkey is a mid-sized monkey with an agile build. It’s unclear how long they live in the wild; however, other members of the Chlorocebus family live up to 11-13 years.
Appearance
The tantalus monkey has a distinctive gray-golden coat covering most of its body, which almost looks like it’s made out of feathers. They have green undertones on their back, while their bellies are creamy white, and their limbs are covered by gray fur. Their faces, framed by tufts of white hair that spike outwards, showcase bare, black skin, just like their hands and feet. They have flat noses and small, brown eyes, with a characteristic winding white or yellowish browband above the eyes. Males are generally larger than females and have a bright blue scrotum surrounded by orange hairs.
Diet
Tantalus monkeys have a ravenous appetite and, as omnivores, they are unlikely to pass up much. Their diet includes leaves, flowers, blossoms, seeds, gums, bark, shoots, eggs, invertebrates such as insects and their pupae, and even small vertebrates like chameleons, birds, and small mammals. They tend to consume their prey whole and rarely share such delicacies with other members of their group.
The majority of their diet is made up of plants. Compared to many other species in the same areas, tantalus monkeys feed on a huge variety of foods, some of which are not particular nutritious. They’re incredibly adaptable, so they can survive in arid areas or open habitats without major problems.
Overall, their diets are influenced by what’s available in their environment. In places where fruit is plentiful, they spend more time feeding on ripe fruit. In less bountiful regions, they rely more heavily on other plant matter or invertebrates. They may also raid cultivated lands and feed on crops when necessary.
Behavior and Lifestyle
Tantalus monkeys are semi-terrestrial animals—that is, while they spend most of their time in the safety of the trees, they quite often set foot on the ground. They are mostly active during the day and sleep in trees at night.
They’re opportunistic foragers and will feed on any edible items they come across on the forest floor. On average, 25% of their day is spent foraging, with peaks in February. Tantalus monkeys travel slowly at ground level, taking one or two steps at a time using all four limbs. If they find something edible, they stop and feed while sitting or standing. They’re fairly meticulous, scanning the environment thoroughly in search of tasty treats. However, when it comes to eating other animals, they are relatively lazy. They prefer feeding on easy-to-catch invertebrates and won’t waste much energy chasing fast-moving birds or insects. Meat consumption increases in areas where plant life struggles to thrive; for example, in the previously mentioned arid Sahel region.
Tantalus monkeys take long rests in tall, shaded trees when the sun is hot. These trees offer excellent protection from terrestrial predators such as the common jackal, Canis aureus, or domestic dogs. They climb trees at the mere sight of these predators to escape them. Tantalus monkeys are preyed upon by a variety of animals, including big cats. For example, potential predators include the leopard, Panthera pardus, and the serval, Felis serval. Other threats include snakes, birds of prey, and carnivores such as the spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta, the side-striped jackal, Canis adustus, and the African wild dog, Lycaon pictus.
This species is incredibly adaptable. They can be found in a variety of environments, making them quite resilient.
Tantalus monkeys are extremely sociable and congregate in large groups of up to 30 individuals. They live in mixed groups, with an average of 1 to 10 adult males, 3 to 18 adult females, and the rest being younglings. Solitary males have also been spotted in the wild.
This species can be quite territorial; for example, they’ve been observed chasing away neighboring groups with loud vocalizations and aggressive signals. On the other hand, in some regions, they coexist peacefully with their neighbors and even share parts of their home range. One possible reason for such strikingly different behavior is that they become more aggressive in areas where food is scarce, as a way to ensure that resources will suffice.
Tantalus monkeys and patas monkeys, Erythrocebus patas, live together in northern Cameroon. These two primates share large areas of their environment peacefully and often feed in close proximity without competing. Although they feed on similar plants, they avoid direct competition by adopting different strategies. Tantalus monkeys have broader, more generalized diets compared to patas monkeys, who are much more selective. Additionally, patas monkeys travel much further across their environment, while tantalus monkeys tend to exploit local resources more thoroughly before moving on.
Tantalus monkeys communicate using a mix of sounds, facial expressions, and body signals. Like their close relatives, the vervet monkeys, Chlorocebus pygerythrus, they are known for having a wide range of vocalizations. One of the most remarkable features of their communication is their use of alarm calls. These calls can vary depending on the type of predator nearby—there’s one call for snakes, another for leopards, and a different one for humans. When other monkeys hear the call, they usually react in a way that fits the danger. For example, they might climb into trees to escape ground predators or scan the grass when they hear the snake alarm. Even if they only hear a recording of the sound, they respond as if the threat were real. However, a few fake alarm calls are sufficient to teach them that they’re being deceived, and often won’t respond anymore if a sound is played too many times without real danger nearby. Youngsters have also been observed to deceitfully sound alarm calls to steal food or for other personal gains, but they soon learn how not to if they want to be fully integrated in their social group. However, we have yet to determine the extent to which the vocal communication of tantalus monkeys resembles that of vervets.
There are also several instances of non-verbal communication; for example, they also use facial expressions and body movements to get their message across. An open mouth can signal a threat, while grooming is used to strengthen bonds and show affection, like in most primate species. Some involuntary signals may include the brightly colored genitals typical of males, which they sometimes display as a sign of dominance or to warn others to stay away. In many cases, the dominant male is the one who gives the alarm calls, which helps maintain his role as protector of the group.
Although most studies have been done on vervet monkeys, scientists believe that tantalus monkeys use a very similar system, but further research needs to be conducted to avoid overgeneralizations.
Birth patterns reflect local differences, and scientists have yet to fully understand the factors influencing birth rates. For example, in Bakossi, births occur between October and November at the end of the wet season; in Buffle Noir, between January and February during the middle of the dry season; and in Kala Malou, in the heart of the wet season, between July and August. Typically, they give birth to a single offspring at a time. Both females and males follow a social hierarchy based on family ties, meaning that rank is passed down through relatives, and individuals tend to stick close to their kin. Young and adult females often take care of infants that are unrelated to them. They groom them, nuzzle them, and sometimes even carry them around.
Females tend to stay with their birth group for life, while males often migrate to neighboring groups when they reach sexual maturity (around 5 to 6 years old). Males form less stable relationships within their social group and show more fluid movement patterns, possibly as a way to discourage genetic stagnation—in other words, to reduce the chances of inbreeding.
As a species that feeds mainly on fruit, tantalus monkeys play an important role in spreading seeds across the forest floor, making a big contribution to reforestation. Their foraging habits help move seeds far from the parent plant up to 3 miles away (5 km), which supports local vegetation diversity. On top of that, their waste enriches the soil by adding vital nutrients to the forest.
In some areas, tantalus monkeys have also developed a taste for meat. Here, they regularly eat insects and their pupae, which helps keep pest populations in check. Last but not least, they provide food to many local predators.
Tantalus monkeys are incredibly adaptable, with a habitat that ranges from luscious, green forests to arid deserts. Because of this, their role changes and transforms in various areas. Nevertheless, their role is paramount, and they are part of an intricate yet delicate balance that should not be disrupted.
Tantalus monkey is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2019), appearing on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They are widely distributed across their range, and their populations don’t seem to be under immediate threat from natural predators.
Although they often make use of human-modified landscapes (especially by sneaking into farms and feeding on crops), they generally go unnoticed or unblamed for it. This is partly because they’re smaller, more reserved, and harder to spot than other crop-raiders like patas monkeys or olive baboons, Papio anubis, partly because these two species are bolder and get most of the blame from local farmers. However, despite their adaptability, they are not immune to human-related dangers. Expanding agriculture, logging, and the destruction of their natural habitat pose serious threats. Other risks include accidental capture in traps set for other animals and road accidents, especially as roads continue to cut through forested areas.
They are not commonly hunted for bushmeat, likely due to their small size, but there have been isolated cases of hunting reported in Burkina Faso, and they are occasionally kept as pets.
Tantalus monkeys are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international agreement between governments whose goal is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. They are also listed in Class B of the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, a continent-wide agreement aiming to preserve local flora and fauna.
There are no conservation programs dedicated specifically to this species, but they are present in many protected areas across Africa, which gives them some level of protection.
The Chlorocebus tantalus tantalus subspecies is found in several protected parks and reserves in West Africa. In Benin, they inhabit Pendjari National Park and areas west of W National Park. In Cameroon, they’re present in national parks like Bénoué, Bouba-Ndjida, Kalamaloué, and Waza, as well as in the Faro Reserve and the Kimbi River and Mbi Crater game reserves. In Niger, they live west of the W National Park. In Nigeria, their range includes several national parks: Cross River, Gashaka-Gumti, and Kainji Lake, as well as forest reserves like Oban Hills, Ngel Nyaki, and Olokemeji, and game reserves such as Borgu, Kwiambana, Pandam, Upper Ogun, and Yankari. In Togo, they can be found in the Keran and Malfacassa Reserves.
The Budgett’s tantalus subspecies lives mainly in Uganda, where it inhabits national parks like Murchison Falls, Kibale, and Bwindi. They’re also present in smaller forest fragments such as Budongo and Kasokwa-Kityedo, as well as in other protected or semi-protected environments.
The Jebbel Marra Tantalus, on the other hand, is not currently known to live in any officially protected areas.
Tantalus monkeys are incredibly adaptable and are often seen in areas shaped by human activity. However, this overlap frequently leads to conflict, especially in farming communities. These tensions could be reduced with targeted education campaigns to promote awareness and peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife.
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Written by Mirko Cerrone, Aug 2025