Reproduction

Vervet Monkey

Males and females become sexually mature at 30 months of age. Oestrous cycle is usually about 1 month. In the wild births are more or less seasonal (depends on place), but in captivity births can occur in any month. The inverval between births is appr 1 year.

The gestation is varying from 161 – 165 days.

Most of the births take place at night. Labour takes about an hour. The afterbirth is delivered 25 minutes later and eaten. The newborn was groomed immediately after he was delivered. The eyes of the infant are open at birth. They are born with a pink face and a very dark nearly black coat. This coat will be replaced at the age of 2 months by an adult pelage.

They give birth to only 1 monkey. Unusually twins are born.

The weight of a female infant is appr 10.8 ounces (308g), the weight of a male infant appr 11.5 ounces (328g).

Within 30 minutes the baby start sucking.
After 2 months they start to take some solid food. They also become much more mobile (only carried by their mothers when danger occurs).
After a period of 6 months the infant is largely weaned.

Vervet monkeys can live 24 years in captivity.

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