FaunaHub

Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)

MammalPrimateAfrica

Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) with a vividly coloured red-and-blue face.

Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx).

Image: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

The mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is the largest monkey in the world, a powerful, ground-dwelling primate of the rainforests of west-central Africa. Males are unmistakable, with a long muzzle ridged in vivid blue and a scarlet stripe down the centre, plus matching bright colours on the rump — one of the most flamboyant colour displays of any mammal. Females and young are far plainer.

Mandrills are related to baboons and, like them, are intelligent and intensely social, sometimes gathering in enormous groups called hordes that can number in the hundreds.

Conservation note: the mandrill is assessed as Vulnerable, threatened by habitat loss and hunting for bushmeat. Verify current status at iucnredlist.org.

Habitat & Range

Mandrills live in the tropical rainforests and forest-savanna mosaics of west-central Africa, including parts of Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of the Congo. They spend much of their time foraging on the forest floor but climb trees to feed and to sleep safely at night.

Diet

Mandrills are omnivores with a broad diet: fruit, seeds, nuts, leaves, roots, and fungi, along with insects, other invertebrates, and small vertebrates. They use large cheek pouches to gather and carry food while foraging, and their strong jaws handle hard items such as nuts and seeds.

Behavior

Mandrills are famous for their social life: they live in groups led by females, and these can merge into hordes that are among the largest stable gatherings of any primate. A dominant male's colours are brightest, and brighter colour signals higher status — research links the intensity of the red and blue to dominance and hormones. Mandrills communicate with calls, facial expressions, and scent, and they generally avoid people, retreating into dense forest.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Mandrills are charismatic and well known from their vivid faces, but in the wild they are declining, mainly because of deforestation and intensive hunting for bushmeat. Their large hordes can make them vulnerable to hunters. Protecting forest and managing hunting are key to their future. Consult the IUCN Red List for current status.

More photos of the mandrill

A mandrill showing its ridged, brightly coloured muzzle.

Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx).

Image: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Mandrill

Is the mandrill a baboon?
It is closely related to baboons but is not a true baboon — mandrills are placed in their own genus (Mandrillus), alongside the drill. They share a robust, ground-foraging, highly social lifestyle with baboons, which is why they are often compared to them.
Why do male mandrills have such colourful faces?
The vivid blue ridges and red stripe (mirrored on the rump) are signals of status. Research shows the brightest-coloured males tend to be the most dominant, and colour intensity is linked to hormones and social rank. The display helps mediate competition and attract females, so colour is a kind of visual rank badge.
How big do mandrills get?
Mandrills are the largest of all monkeys. Males are much bigger than females and can be strikingly heavy and powerful for a monkey, with large canine teeth. This large size, combined with the male's coloration, makes them very distinctive.
Are mandrills endangered?
They are assessed as Vulnerable. The main threats are the loss of their rainforest habitat and heavy hunting for bushmeat, with their large group sizes sometimes making them easier targets. Forest protection and hunting management are important, and current status should be checked against the IUCN Red List.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.