Reproduction

Dusky Leaf Monkeys live in groups that consist of 5-10 individuals. In these groups, there resides only one or two dominant males, and multiple suburbanite females (Md-Zain, 2011). They are polygynous breeders, which mean that the bigger, more aggressive male will get to fertilize more females. It is a sexual strategy to spread the male’s genes (Ehrlich et al. 1988). Other polygynous organisms include the Orangutan and the Lion.

Both female and male Dusky Leaf Monkeys reach sexual maturity between the ages of three and four. They can have one or two offspring, but on average a single baby survives better than twins. Breeding is not always seasonal and females can have another baby two years after giving birth. This is mainly due to the baby staying with mother for those two years. Following fertilization, females are in gestation for about 145 days. Birthing for the Dusky Leaf Monkey females usually takes place in the months of January, February, and March (Md-Zain, 2011).

 

 

 

 

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