Foa's red colobus (Piliocolobus foai) or the Central African red colobus, is a species of red colobus monkey found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1]
Several other species of red colobus were formerly considered subspecies of Piliocolobus foai by at least some authors but have since been elevated to full species. These include:[2] [3] [4]
It was previously thought that Foa's red colobus was made of two formerly separate species, one originally from highlands and the other originally from lowlands, which interbred into a single species. The highland species has since been split into P. foai sensu stricto, while the lowland species has been split into P. lulindicus.[5] [6]
Foa's red colobus is known only from two widely separated regions in the Itombwe Mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It likely once had a larger range throughout the Albertine Rift in the past, but past deforestation in the area is thought to have led to a major range contraction.
Foa's red colobus has long red and black fur on its back and head, with light underparts.[1] [5] Males have a body length excluding tail of between 50cmand69cmcm (20inchesand27inchescm) with a tail that is between 62cmand67cmcm (24inchesand26inchescm) long.[5] Males typically weigh between 9kgand13kgkg (20lband29lbkg) and females typically weigh between 7kgand9kgkg (15lband20lbkg). It has smaller teeth than most other red colobus species.[5]
Foa's red colobus is arboreal and diurnal.[1] It has a varied diet which includes leaves, buds, fruit and flowers.[1] It is frequently hunted for bushmeat.[5]