Patas monkey

Patas monkeys are considered the fastest primate on Earth. With slender bodies and long limbs they can achieve top speeds of 55km/h whereas the finest Olympic 100 metre champions can only manage 36-37km/h. These bursts of speed are essential for a life spent on the ground and are used to evade predators such as lions and hyenas.

For most of the year a single adult male lives with a harem of up to 40 females but social structure changes during the breeding season when he is joined by other males. Unlike most primates, patas monkeys generally avoid dense woodland, preferring the open savannah and semi-deserts found across central Africa from below the Sahara in the north to above the rainforests of the south.

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