Head to head
Grey-Cheeked Mangabey vs Mandrill
The grey-cheeked mangabey and mandrill both belong to the same broader primate tribe found across Central African rainforest, but one is known for its voice and the other for its extraordinary colour.
| Grey-Cheeked Mangabey | Mandrill | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Lophocebus albigena | Mandrillus sphinx |
| Relative size | Much smaller | Large, one of the biggest monkeys |
| Signature feature | Whoop-gobble long-distance call | Vivid blue and red facial colouring |
| Group size | Smaller foraging groups | Can number in the hundreds |
| Range | Central Africa broadly | Cameroon, Gabon, and the Congo |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Habitat | Rainforest | Rainforest |
Grey-Cheeked Mangabey vs Mandrill: common questions
How are the grey-cheeked mangabey and mandrill related?
Both species belong to the same broader primate tribe found across Central African rainforest, a distant evolutionary relationship that connects the grey-cheeked mangabey to the much larger and more vividly coloured mandrill despite their very different appearances and group sizes.
Which of these two primates lives in larger groups?
The mandrill lives in far larger groups, sometimes numbering in the hundreds and ranking among the biggest social groups recorded in any primate, while the grey-cheeked mangabey typically forages in smaller groups spread across the rainforest canopy and ground.
Why is the mandrill so much more visually striking than the grey-cheeked mangabey?
Dominant male mandrills develop brilliant blue and red ridges on the muzzle along with matching rump colouring, some of the most vivid facial colouration of any mammal, a visual display the grey-cheeked mangabey does not have, instead relying on its far-carrying whoop-gobble call to communicate.