View source for Talapoin

{{Short description|Genus of Old World monkeys}}
__NOTOC__
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Talapoins<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Primates |pages=165-166 |id=12100577 |heading=GENUS ''Miopithecus''}}</ref>
| image = Zwergmeerkatze-drawing.jpg
| display_parents = 2
| taxon = Miopithecus
| authority = [[Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|I. Geoffroy]], 1842
| type_species = ''[[Miopithecus talapoin|Simia talapoin]]'' 
| type_species_authority = [[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber|Schreber]], 1774
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
''[[Miopithecus talapoin]]''<br/>
''[[Miopithecus ogouensis]]''
}}{{More citations needed|date=August 2022}}
'''Talapoins''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|æ|l|ə|p|ɔɪ|n|z}}) are the two species of [[Old World monkey]]s classified in genus '''''Miopithecus'''''. They live in central [[Africa]], with their [[range (biology)|range]] extending from [[Cameroon]] and the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] to [[Angola]].

With a typical length of {{convert|32|to|45|cm|ftin}} and a weight of approximately {{convert|1.3|kg|lb|1|disp=or}} (males) and {{convert|0.8|kg|lb|1|disp=or}} (females), talapoins are the smallest Old World monkeys. Their fur is grey green on top and whitish on their underside, much like the [[vervet monkey]]s. The head is round and short-snouted with a hairless face.

Talapoins are [[diurnal animal|diurnal]] and [[arboreal]], preferring rain forest or mangroves near water. They are usually not found in open fields, nor do they seem to be disrupted by humans. Like [[Allen's swamp monkey]], they can swim well and look in the water for food.

These monkeys live in groups of 60 to 100 individuals. They congregate at night in trees close to the water, dividing into smaller subgroups during the day to spread out to find food. Groups are composed of several fully mature males, numerous females and their offspring. Unlike the closely related [[guenon]]s, they do not have any territorial behaviors. Their vocal repertoire is smaller, as well.

Talapoins are [[omnivore]]s; their diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds, aquatic plants, insects, shellfish, bird eggs and small vertebrates.

Their 160-day gestation period (typically from November to March) results in the birth of a single young. Offspring are large, well developed — newborns weigh over {{convert|200|g|lb oz|disp=or}}, which is about a quarter of the weight of the mother — and develop rapidly. Within six weeks, they eat solid food, and at three months of age, they are independent. The greatest recorded age of a talapoin in captivity was 28 years, while the life expectancy in the wild is not well known.

==Species ==
{{Species table |no-note=y |genus=[[Miopithecus]] |authority-name=[[Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|Geoffroy]] |authority-year=1842 |species-count=two|narrow-percent=75}}
{{Species table/row
|name=[[Angolan talapoin]] |binomial=M. talapoin
|image=File:Talapoin_II_-_Bioparc_Valencia_(2787418966).jpg |image-size=180px |image-alt=Brown monkey
|authority-name=[[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber|Schreber]] |authority-year=1774 |authority-not-original=yes
|range=Central Africa |range-image=File:Angolan_Talapoin_area.png |range-image-size=160px
|size={{convert|32|–|45|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} long, plus {{convert|36|–|53|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} tail<ref name="ADWAngolantalapoin"/>
|habitat=Forest and inland wetlands<ref name="IUCNAngolantalapoin"/>
|hunting=Insects, leaves, seeds, fruit, water plants, grubs, eggs, and small vertebrates<ref name="ADWAngolantalapoin"/>
|iucn-status=VU |population=Unknown
|direction={{decrease|Population declining}}<ref name="IUCNAngolantalapoin"/>
}}
{{Species table/row
|name=[[Gabon talapoin]] |binomial=M. ogouensis
|image=File:Miopithecus ogouensis.jpg |image-size=112px |image-alt=Brown monkey
|authority-name=[[Jonathan Kingdon|Kingdon]] |authority-year=1997
|range=Central Africa |range-image=File:Gabon_Talapoin_area.png |range-image-size=160px
|size={{convert|23|–|36|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} long, plus {{convert|31|–|45|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} tail<ref name="FieldAfrica145"/>
|habitat=Forest<ref name="IUCNGabontalapoin"/>
|hunting=Fruit, seeds and insects<ref name="IUCNGabontalapoin"/>
|iucn-status=NT |population=Unknown
|direction={{decrease|Population declining}}<ref name="IUCNGabontalapoin"/>
}}
{{Species table/end}}

==Etymology==
''Talapoin'' is a 16th-century French [[Bhikku#Talapoy|word for a Buddhist monk]], from Portuguese ''talapão'', from [[Mon language|Mon]] ''tala pōi'' "our lord"; originally jocular, from the appearance of the monkey.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.wordreference.com/definition/talapoin
|title= talapoin
|access-date= June 23, 2013
|date= June 23, 2013
|work= Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers
|publisher= WordReference.com
}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="IUCNGabontalapoin">{{cite iucn |last1=Maisels |first1=F. |title=''Miopithecus ogouensis'' |volume=2019 |article-number=e.T41570A17953573 |date=2019 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T41570A17953573.en}}</ref>
<ref name="FieldAfrica145">[[#CITEREF_AfricanMammals|Kingdon 2015]], p. 145</ref>
<ref name="IUCNAngolantalapoin">{{cite iucn |last1=Maisels |first1=F. |last2=Hart |first2=J. |last3=Ron |first3=T. |last4=Svensson |first4=M. |last5=Thompson |first5=J. |title=''Miopithecus talapoin'' |amends=2019 |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T13572A166605916 |date=2020 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T13572A166605916.en}}</ref>
<ref name="ADWAngolantalapoin">{{cite web |first1=Bridget |last1=Frederick |title=''Miopithecus talapoin'' |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Miopithecus_talapoin/ |date=2002 |website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] |publisher=[[University of Michigan]] |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104154826/http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/miopithecus_talapoin/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |title=The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals |edition=Second |last=Kingdon |first=Jonathan |date=2015 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-4729-2531-2 |ref=CITEREF_AfricanMammals}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/links/miopithecus Primate Info Net ''Miopithecus'' Factsheets]

{{C.Cercopithecinae nav}}
{{Haplorhini|C.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q244245}}

[[Category:Talapoins| ]]
[[Category:Primates of Africa]]
[[Category:Fauna of Central Africa]]
[[Category:Cercopithecini]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire]]