Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Omnivore Average life span in the wild: 20 years Size: 3 ft (90 cm) Weight: 77 lbs (35 kg) Group name: Troop Protection status: Threatened Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Mandrills are the largest of all monkeys. They are shy and reclusive primates that live only in the rain forests of equatorial Africa. Mandrills are extremely colorful, perhaps more so than any other mammal. They are easily identifiable by the blue and red skin on their faces and their brightly hued rumps. These distinctive colors become brighter when the animal is excited. They also have extremely long canine teeth thatcan be used for self-defensethough baring them is typically a friendly gesture among mandrills. These are primarily terrestrial monkeys, and they move with long arms to forage on the ground for fruits, roots, and animals such as insects, reptiles,and amphibians. Their cheeks have built-in pouches that are used to store snacks for later consumption. Though mandrills spend much of their time on theground, they can climb trees anddo so to sleep. Mandrills live in troops, which are headed by a dominant male and include a dozen or more females and young. They also gather in multi-male/multi-female groups that can include some 200 individuals. These colorful primates are threatened. They are often hunted as bushmeat, and many Africans consider them to be a delicacy. Mandrills are feeling the squeeze of spreading agriculture and human settlementboth are shrinking their rain forest homeland.