Mandrill - Mandrill (English spelling)

A member of the Primates order, Cercopithecidae family. A forest baboon found in areas from Cameroon to Congo. Both sexes have dark brown fur and a short tail, but there are other marked differences between the sexes. Males can reach a body length of 80 cm and a weight of 20 kg, with well-developed forelegs and long canines. When they reach adulthood, the ridge of the nose and the area around the mouth are crimson, there are rows of white and blue bumps on both sides of the nose, the sexual skin is crimson-purple, and the hair on the cheeks and chin is yellow. Females are much smaller, and their face is only bluish on the cheeks. They live on the forest floor of rainforests or mountain forests at relatively high altitudes, are omnivorous, mainly eating plant foods, and live in small groups. Some have considered separating the mandrill, along with the forest-dwelling drill P. leucophaeus , from the genus Baboon as Mandrillus .

[Kenji Kawanaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱霊長目オナガザル科の動物。カメルーンからコンゴにかけて分布する森林性のヒヒ。体毛が暗褐色で尾が短い点は雌雄共通であるが、その他の点では性差が著しい。雄は体長80センチメートル、体重20キログラムに達し、前躯(ぜんく)が発達、犬歯も長大である。成獣になると、鼻すじと口の周囲が真紅、鼻の両側に白と青の隆起が並び、性皮は紅紫色、頬(ほお)とあごの毛は黄色になる。雌の体格はずっと小さく、顔色も頬が青みを帯びているだけである。比較的標高の高い多雨林または山地林の林床で生活し、植物性食物を中心とする雑食で、小型の群れをつくる。やはり森林性のドリルP. leucophaeusとともに、マンドリル属Mandrillusとしてヒヒ属から独立させる考え方もある。

［川中健二］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例