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Animal profile
Mandrillus sphinx
The mandrill is the largest monkey in the world, with a heavy build, a short tail and a ridged, brightly coloured face in adult males. It moves mainly on the forest floor in very large aggregations. Despite an old common name, it is not a baboon.
The scarlet and blue skin on an adult male mandrill's muzzle is not fixed decoration. Its intensity rises and falls with testosterone and social standing, so a male who loses his position fades, and the colour signals status to rivals and females alike.
The scarlet and blue skin on an adult male mandrill's muzzle is not fixed decoration. Its intensity rises and falls with testosterone and social standing, so a male who loses his position fades, and the colour signals status to rivals and females alike.