Saturday, February 27, 2010

Camera Critters

Camera Critters is hosted each Saturday by the lovely Misty.

I'd like you to meet a Patas monkey from the Houston Zoo.



Patas Monkey


The Patas monkey is probably the fastest primate on earth, its long legs giving it a tremendous loping stride. Speeds reach up to 35 mph. They are highly terrestrial spending most of their time on the ground. The species has a wide distribution in the savanna and woodlands areas across sub-Saharan Africa from the western tip of Senegal to East Africa.


Patas Monkey

The conservation of patas monkeys is critical because of their already small population size, limited geographic range and the current destruction of their habitats. Hunting by humans has increased progressively, especially in West Africa. Hunters kill patas monkeys for meat in the Ivory Coast. The mountain Nuba people and tribal groups also hunt patas monkeys. Many farmers and plantation owners shoot these monkeys when they raid their crops. Patas monkeys are collected and sold as pets or they are sold to medical research institutions. Over 1000 patas monkeys are collected per year.


Patas Monkey


I think I'm in love!

Happy Critter Day!


21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Such noble faces...usually I am afraid of monkeys, but this one makes me smile...

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Snap: What a cute little fellow, love the ears.

Jane said...

Great shots, beautiful markings. Thanks for sharing:)

eileeninmd said...

Cool looking monkey! I do not believe I have seen these monkeys in the zoos around here.

Katarina said...

That's a very handsome Monkey - which I've never heard of before. Very interesting - i do hope they won't disappear from their natural habitat.

Karine said...

He's a heartbreaker for sure :o)

Anonymous said...

Very handsome! I'd not heard of them, but what interesting info.

Cindy said...

Very cute animal! The ears make me think of a cat. I hope they're smart enough to adapt and survive.

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

It makes me weep to think what people do to these magnificent creatures. Thanks for spreading the knowledge.

Müge Tekil said...

Superb photos! The third one is a great portrait!

http://www.la-douceur-de-vivre.com

Barb said...

Great photos, Snap. Was there a fence? We have Patas at Denver Zoo, too. Hope you and Mr Dragon have a good weekend.

Michael said...

Thanks for the info about these monkeys. They are handsome.

Rosa said...

What a face!

Ricepatty said...

What a cool guy - thanks for all of the info in him very interesting - perfect for CC!

Carletta said...

His face is so cute! Great markings!
Neat shots!

B : ) said...

What a beautiful monkey! thanks for visiting my blog and opening my eyes - I never thought of butterflies as magical, but now I see they are.

Samantha ~ Holly and Zac ~ said...

He is lovely, it is so sad that they are hunted though. :(

Thank you for visiting my blog. :)

nonizamboni said...

Of course something that adorable would have to be exploited! sigh
I love the little tufts on the ears. I always learn something new at your place :O)

Cezar and Léia said...

Ohmigod, this critter is amazing!How different!I would like to visit a Zoo someday, I've never visit a place like that.Looks funny!
Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures and story.
purrs and love
Luna - WE LOVE LUNA

Unknown said...

He's adorable! You got some nice shots! I wanna hug him, lol!

Willard said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

You captured some beautiful photographs of an extremely beautiful animal.