One of the most striking and elegant monkeys of West Africa, famous for its bold coloration and regal appearance. Named after the Roman goddess Diana—often depicted as a huntress with a crescent moon—the monkey’s white brow and crescent-shaped band of hair above its face give it a distinctive “crowned” look that inspired its name.

In appearance, the Diana monkey is instantly eye-catching. Its coat is a dramatic mix of black, white, and chestnut, arranged in sharp contrasts that look almost like a tailored uniform. It has a white throat and chest that extend like a “beard,” a black body, and a reddish rump patch. Their expressive faces, framed by the white “crescent,” make them one of the most photogenic primates in Africa.

Socially, Diana monkeys live in large, noisy groups of up to 30 individuals, led by a dominant male. They are highly vocal and produce an impressive variety of calls, from alarm barks to contact whistles, which they use to coordinate group movement and warn each other of predators such as leopards or crowned eagles. Interestingly, they are also known to eavesdrop on other species, responding to the alarm calls of monkeys like colobus or Campbell’s monkeys, creating a kind of shared communication network in the forest canopy. Their lively calls often make them one of the most noticeable presences in their rainforest homes.

As arboreal specialists, diana monkeys spend nearly all of their lives in the trees, rarely touching the ground. They are omnivorous, feeding on fruits, leaves, insects, and occasionally small vertebrates. By dispersing seeds, they play an important ecological role in maintaining the diversity of the forest. Agile and fast, they leap gracefully between branches, sometimes covering several meters in a single bound.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Côte D’ivoire

2019

Guinea

2019

Liberia

2019

Sierra Leone

2019