Taxonomy, Distribution, and Conservation of Prigogine’s Angola Colobus Colobus angolensis prigoginei Verheyen, 1959 (Primates: Cercopithecidae)
New paper in Primate Conservation 38 (2024)
Thomas M. Butynski and Yvonne A. de Jong
Abstract: The ‘Endangered’ Prigogine’s Angola colobus Colobus angolensis prigoginei is endemic to the Kabobo Massif along the western shore of Lake Tanganyika, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. As the validity of C. a. prigoginei has been disputed, we compared the holotype and first photographs of a live individual against three paratypes of Cordier’s Angola colobus Colobus angolensis cordieri. We confirm that C. a. prigoginei is phenotypically distinct from C. a. cordieri. These two subspecies occupy different altitudinal ranges and forest types and are separated by a barrier of vegetation ~180 km wide. The number of primate species on the Kabobo Massif is probably not less than 16, of which four are threatened with extinction. Of these, at least 12 are expected to be sympatric with C. a. prigoginei. The forest that C. a. prigoginei relies on is being degraded, lost and fragmented due to unmanaged and unsustainable exploitation by a rapidly expanding human population in a region that experiences a high level of insecurity. Poaching and climate change are other serious threats. We provide recommendations for research and for reducing the threats to C. a. prigoginei.
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Holotype of Prigogine’s Angola colobus Colobus angolensis prigoginei (adult male RG.27.106), Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium. Photograph by Yvonne de Jong and Tom Butynski.
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