Vervet monkey

Scientific name: Chlorocebus pygerythrus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Grey-green coat with white underparts and distinctive black facial markings. Males noticeably larger and more robust than females; males display bright blue genitals and red tail base.

Size and weight

Males 5.5–8 kg, females 3.5–5.5 kg; body length 40–55 cm plus tail 40–65 cm.

Habitat

Open savanna, woodland edges, and riparian zones from sea level to 2,500 m. Favour areas with scattered trees and grassland near water sources.

Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa from southern Ethiopia to South Africa. Widespread in savannas and open woodlands east of the Congo Basin.

Diet

Omnivorous: fruits, seeds, leaves, bark, insects, and small vertebrates; seasonal shift toward insects during dry months.

Behaviour

Highly social and diurnal, moving in troops of 5–60 individuals with clear hierarchies. Travel on ground and in trees; active from dawn to dusk with midday rest periods.

Hunting tips

Look for fresh droppings (fibrous, dark, scattered under feeding trees) and three-toed footprints near water and fruiting areas. Approach from downwind in open ground before dawn; use topography and scattered cover to close distance. Listen for alarm barks and watch for sentinel individuals posted in trees.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 3 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.