Mammals
Patas Monkey
Erythrocebus patas · also called patas monkeys, hussar monkey
Bursting into a full sprint across open savanna, a patas monkey outruns a pursuing predator using raw speed rather than the nearest tree, the fastest primate on Earth relying on long legs and open ground instead of the arboreal escape routes most monkeys depend on.
Overview
The patas monkey, Erythrocebus patas, is the fastest primate species in the world, native to savanna and grassland habitat across semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Its exceptional running speed, unusually terrestrial lifestyle for a monkey, and long, sprint-adapted limbs make it one of the most physically specialised primates found anywhere in Africa’s open grasslands.
A monkey that outran the trees
While most monkeys evolved to escape danger by climbing, the patas monkey instead evolved to simply outrun it, a strategy shaped by life on Africa’s open savanna, where trees suitable for a quick escape are often too far away to help.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across suitable savanna and grassland habitat throughout semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa.
Patas Monkey: common questions
How fast can a patas monkey run?
This species is the fastest primate in the world, capable of reaching considerable running speed across open ground, a pace that few land predators are able to match over short distances, making speed its primary defence against danger.
Why doesn't the patas monkey escape into trees like most monkeys?
This species escapes predators primarily by outrunning them across open terrain rather than climbing trees, an unusual strategy among monkeys shaped by its preference for savanna and grassland habitat, where suitable escape trees are often scarce or far apart.
How social is the patas monkey?
This species typically lives in social groups containing a single adult male alongside multiple females and their offspring, with surplus males forming separate bachelor groups rather than remaining within the main breeding troop.
Where does the patas monkey live?
This species is native to savanna and grassland habitat across a broad range spanning semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa, an open, exposed environment that has shaped its unusually terrestrial, speed-based lifestyle.