Capture techniques and morphological measurements of the mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona) on the island of Grenada,West Indies

Morphological measurements were collected from 12 wild and 12 captive mona monkeys (Cercopithecus mona) on the Caribbean island of Grenada. Mona monkeys were introduced to Grenada from Africa approximately 200 to 300 years ago during the slave trade era. Wild monkeys were captured using either 1) a baited treadle-door trap and anesthetic-filled darts fired from a blowpipe, or 2) rifle-fired anesthetic-filled darts. All wild monkeys were released back into the forest after capture and were seen with their original groups within 24 hours of release. Captive monkeys were anesthetized using blowpipe-fired darts. A Ketaset/Rompun mixture was the most effective anesthetic for wild monkeys while Ketaset alone was suitable for captive monkeys. Responses to and recovery times from both drugs varied among individuals. Data on eight linear body measurements, canine length, testicle size, and weight were collected from all monkeys. Adult monkeys were significantly sexually dimorphic across all measurements. Mean adult male weight (―x = 4.7, SD = 0.9, n = 13) was almost twice that of adult females (―x = 2.8, SD = 0.8, n = 7). No significant differences in weight or measurements were found between adult wild and captive males. Preliminary comparisons with morphometrics for African C. mona from the literature showed the upper limit of Grenada mona body length and weight to be smaller than that of African monas for both sexes. These differences may be due to genetic divergence, ecological adaptation, inter-African geographic variation, and/or small sample sizes. Am J Phys Anthropol 105:481–491, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.