Bale Mountains vervet

The Bale Mountains vervet is a fascinating Old World monkey that inhabits the bamboo forests of Ethiopia's Bale Mountains. Unlike many of its primate relatives, this vervet favors the open expanses of bamboo forests over densely wooded areas. This preference is primarily due to its bamboo-centric diet.

Initially believed to be a subspecies of the grivet monkey, the Bale Mountains vervet belongs to the Chlorocebus genus. This genus was previously classified under Cercopithecus but has since been reclassified. Despite its intriguing lifestyle, the Bale Mountains vervet remains one of Africa's lesser-known primates, with many aspects of its behavior and ecology still cloaked in mystery.

Several factors may influence why these monkeys have chosen the Bale Mountains as their primary habitat. While their diet is a significant factor, other elements such as climate conditions, the history of the forest, soil quality, and even the presence of diseases might also contribute.

These monkeys are known for their quiet and reserved demeanor. When they sense humans nearby, they tend to retreat, making them somewhat elusive and adding to the difficulty of studying them.