蜜芽传媒

Some ground-living monkeys have moved out of the forest and made their home on the African savannah, just like our ancestors did. On the savannah they must travel great distances in search of food and water so they require longer limbs and a different body shape. Patas monkeys are the ultimate walkers of the monkey world. They have a huge range of about 40 square kilometres and are on the move practically all the time, snacking as they go. Their feet are padded and long, like ours. On the open ground they are very exposed to predators so standing up on their hind legs helps them see trouble coming. Perhaps we first stood up for similar reasons too. Finding food in the savannah can also be a problem. A young patas monkey eats ants from an acacia. Incredibly ants constitute a third of their entire diet. In return for accommodation the ants protect the acacia trees and are quick to launch a counter attack. When their biting becomes unbearable the monkey is forced to move on to another tree. The male patas monkey has a moustache and a rather military look to him. If he sees an intruder he will chase it off, showing that patas are the greyhounds of the monkey world. The male tries to mate but youngsters keep winding him up and he has to chase them away.