There are 267 species of monkey exist in the world. Mandrils are the specie of monkeys and one of the Old World Monkeys. They are native to West Central Africa and known as the world’s most colorful mammals. They contain red and blue skin colors on their faces. Mandrills are large and have significantly longer canine teeth, making many people to think, “Are Mandrills Dangerous?”
A mandrill can live a life (lifespan) of 20 years, and they belong to the order of primates. The scientific name of mandrills is Mandrillus sphinx, and the family is Cercopithecidae.
Many people consider them baboons because of their size and physical appearance, but they are different from baboons and also a different specie. By reading the whole article, you will understand all the behaviors, important facts, and whether they are dangerous or not. So, let’s find out.
Table of Contents
Are Mandrills Dangerous?
Yes, mandrills can be dangerous. However, they are known as shy animals. But, consider the fact if they are provoked or feel threatened, then they will attack and can do huge damage.
They are famous for their long sharp teeth, and they use them for protection, and the teeth contain enough power to cause serious damage. Their teeth do great damage and easily make a hole in the skin of humans and animals.
They also use their horror bark to scare their predators. Sometimes, mandrills use their powerful limbs to hit the ground. Another important thing, they always live in groups, so don’t go too near to them.
Mandrills Appearance
Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is the Old World Monkey; in the wild, their lifespan is about 20 years. But, in captivity (Zoo), they can live up to 40 years. The Old Monkeys evolved about 25 to 30 million years ago in Africa. However, mandrill’s evolution is still a mystery. However, baboons evolved 2 million years ago.
Mandrills are native to West Central Africa and live in southwestern Cameroon, western Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and southwestern Congo forests. They are the most colorful primates in the world because they have red noses and blue muzzle sides.
They contain short and thick tails and have brown fur on their bodies. Mandrill males and females can easily be identified by their sizes and the color of their faces. The male average size is about 70 to 95 cm, and the female is about 55 to 70 cm.
Female mandrill has duller color and contains red color genital and anal areas. However, the male mandrill has different brighter colors of genital areas, which include red, pink, blue, and purple skin.
Do Mandrills More Dangerous Than Gorillas And Chimpanzees?
Chimpanzees and gorillas are more dangerous than the mandrills. Gorillas are the largest animal kingdom primates and are stronger and more dangerous than mandrill. Gorillas are muscular animals and can easily crush a skull with their hands.
Gorilla punch power is about 1300 to 2700 pounds, and the bite force is 1,300PSI. That means a gorilla can easily crush a mandrill.
Chimpanzees are also more robust and more dangerous than mandrills. Chimpanzees are the world’s most intelligent specie and are larger than the mandrills. Chimpanzees bite force is also 1,300 PSI.
However, mandrills also have sharp teeth that they can use against gorillas and chimpanzees, but they do not have enough power to defeat both of them.
Are Mandrills The Biggest Monkey Specie?
Yes, they are the largest monkey specie. An average monkey’s size is about 20 to 50 cm, but a mandrill’s average size is about 70 to 95 cm. That fact makes them the biggest specie of monkeys. However, the female weighs about 33 pounds and size is about 55 to 70 cm. Mandrills are the largest in monkeys, but they are not the largest primates in the world. Some other primates, like gorillas, are larger and stronger than them.
Are Mandrills Friendly Animals?
Mandrills are very shy, reclusive, peaceful, and gentle animals living in equatorial Africa’s rainforests. They like to live near lakes and rivers, so they easily get water and fruits from the trees. Mandrills like to live peacefully and not irritate easily, but if someone provokes them, their aggression comes out.
Naturally, they are very calm animals. However, their teeth look very dangerous and frightening. They use their teeth when they feel endangered. They are omnivorous animals, and most of their diet comes from plants, fruits, and small animals. They like eating different fruits, leaves, insects, worms, lizards, and snakes.
What Facts Make Mandrills Dangerous?
Mandrills are very strong primates than many other predatory animals. They are very brave monkeys and always fight when they feel threatened. So, let’s find out which things make them strong and dangerous.
Razor-Sharp Teeth
Mandrills have sharp solid teeth that they use to fight against predators. They have two sets of long sharp teeth. Their teeth have enough strength that can easily do massive damage to animals’ bodies.
They use their canine teeth to pull apart the meat of the bones. They used their molars to cut down the meat into small pieces so they digest it easily. If we compare the mandrills to humans, then mandrils are not much stronger than humans.
A mandrill’s weight is about 20 to 40 kg, and a human’s average is about 80 kg, but they can harm humans with their sharp teeth, strong muscles, and agile speed. They can run at the speed of 25 miles per hour.
Excellent and Great Strength
Mandrills are very muscular and very strong animals that can be very dangerous for their predators. They are very fast and quickly jump on the trees to prevent danger. If this technique does not work, then they use their muscular hands and hind legs to attack the predators.
However, they are not stronger than other primates. Although they are the largest monkey specie, they can not defeat the other big primates like chimpanzees.
Mandrills Attacks On Humans
Mandrill’s attacks on humans are rare, but they can attack humans. If humans provoke or threaten them, they can show aggression toward them. However, mandrill has enough strength in their sharp teeth to kill a human.
These creatures live in the rainforest areas of Africa, and they always show protective aggression for their territory, where they get water and food. So, if they feel endangered for their territory, then they will show aggressive behavior and will attack their opponents.
Usually, mandrill does not attack humans because they are not on the mandrill’s prey list. However, in some regions, humans hunt them to get the meat. So, don’t provoke or threaten them; they will not harm you.
Are Mandrills Prey Or Predators?
Interesting query; they are both prey and predators. As we mentioned early, they like to hunt small animals, but some large animals also hunt them.
They are omnivores, meaning their main diet comes from plants and animals. Their main diet comes from fruits, small mammals, leaves, and reptiles. Sometimes, they also eat the eggs of different birds.
Large snakes, leopards, and crowned hawk eagles are the main predators of the mandrills. As we said early, humans also hunt them, so humans are also their predators. However, if they try to fight with other large primates like gorillas, they will also lose there.
Mandrills Behaviour And Aggression
Mandrill’s behavior is very interesting because they live in a group of thousands of individuals called troops. Sometimes, the small groups of mandrills combine to make a large group.
Mandrills are social animals, but they are also very territorial. So, each territory of mandrills is designated by a scent, so the other mandrills have information about the boundaries.
A chief male leads a troop and has the power to mate with all the troop’s females. Other males leave the troop when they are ready to make their own troop.
Mandrills can convert their calm behavior into dangerous aggression. They are very shy animals but can be very aggressive if someone provokes them. Adult mandrill males usually show more aggression because they are responsible for protecting their territory.
When they see some type of danger, first they always try to warn their predator by showing their massive and dangerous teeth. To show their aggression, sometimes, they also slap the ground with their strong hands to fear the enemy. They always show aggression by roaring, screaming, and making different horror sounds.
Final Thoughts
Scientific research says that mandrills are calm animals, but if they feel threatened, then they can be dangerous. They are fighters and will use their fighting abilities if someone provokes them.
So, make a good distance from them when you see a mandrill. Mandrill are wild animals, and you cannot keep them as pets. However, every animal should be to live independently like humans, but unfortunately, many predatory animals live their lives in captivity.
Most people know the names of some popular animals and their habitats but do not know the interesting facts about them. So, we will try to introduce you to the awesome and different facts about them that are necessary to know.