ACTIVITY PATTERNS IN FREE-RANGING SAMANGO MONKEYS (CERCOPITHECUS-MITIS ERYTHRARCHUS PETERS, 1852) AT THE SOUTHERN RANGE LIMIT

The polytypic Cercopithecus mitis Wolf, 1822, species is widely distri buted in Africa, from southern Somalia in the north to the eastern Cap e province of the Republic of South Africa in the south. The samango m onkeys at Cape Vidal (Cercopithecus mitis erythrarchus) are found clos e to (within 500 km of) the southern limit of the range of the species group. We examine the proposition that, due to greater seasonality of climate and food availability at southern latitudes, samango activity patterns define the extent of the behavioural response capabilities o f the C. mitis species group, both for the troop as a whole and for in dividual age-sex classes. Activity patterns are described. Although sa mangos appear to have activity patterns grossly similar to those of ot her C. mitis populations, the seasonal and diurnal timing of these act ivities is influenced by food abundance, temperature and day length. A ctivity patterns are compared across the C. mitis group, leading to th e conclusion that samango activity is not indicative of the behavioura l limits of the species group. Age-sex class differences in activity a re briefly examined and discussed; age-sex class differences in activi ty seem to underlie differences in foraging strategy between the class es.