Editing Mandrill (section)

==Ecology==
[[File:Mandrillus sphinx at the Bronx Zoo 008.jpg|thumb|upright|Female mandrill sitting in tree|alt=Mandrill sitting in tree]]
The mandrill lives in west-central Africa, including southern [[Cameroon]], mainland [[Equatorial Guinea]] ([[Río Muni]]), [[Gabon]] and parts of the [[Republic of the Congo]]. Its range is bounded by the [[Sanaga River]] to the north and the Ogooué and [[Ivindo River]]s to the east. It does not appear to [[Sympatry|share habitat]] with the drill, as the two species are separated by the Sanaga River.{{sfn|Dixson|2015|pp=9–11}} Mandrills live in [[tropical rainforest]]s, generally preferring [[Old-growth forest|primary forest]]s over [[secondary forest]]s. They also live in patchy [[gallery forest]]s surrounded by [[savanna]] and travel across grass areas within their forest habitats.<ref name="Harrison 1988">{{cite journal|author=Harrison, M. J. S.|title=The mandrill in Gabon's rain forest-ecology, distribution and status|doi=10.1017/S0030605300022365|year=2009|journal=Oryx|volume=22|issue=4|pages=218–228|doi-access=free}}</ref> They have also been recorded in mountainous areas, near rivers and in [[Horticulture|cultivated fields]].<ref name="Sabater Pi J 1972">{{cite journal|author=Sabater Pi, J.|author-link=Jordi Sabater Pi|pmid=4624917|title=Contribution to the ecology of ''Mandrillus sphinx'' Linnaeus 1758 of Rio Muni (Republic of Equatorial Guinea)|year=1972|volume=17|issue=4|pages=304–319|journal=Folia Primatologica|doi=10.1159/000155442}}</ref>

Mandrills prefer thick bush dominated by [[perennial plant]]s like [[Zingiberaceae|ginger]]s and plants of the genera ''[[Brillantaisia]]'' and ''[[Phaulopsis]]''.<ref name=kingdon/><ref name="Sabater Pi J 1972" /> They mainly dwell on the ground, but feed as high as the [[Canopy (biology)|canopy]].<ref name="Harrison 1988"/> Both mandrills and drills are more [[Arboreal locomotion|arboreal]] than baboons.<ref name="Ankel-Simons 2007 "/> Mandrills may aggregate or compete with other primates such as [[talapoin]]s, [[guenon]]s, mangabeys, [[black-and-white colobus]]es, [[chimpanzee]]s, and [[gorilla]]s.<ref name="Harrison 1988"/><ref name="Sabater Pi J 1972" />

===Feeding===
The mandrill is an [[omnivore]]. The core of its diet consists of plants, of which it eats over a hundred species.<ref name="Hoshino 1985"/> One study found the mandrill's diet was composed of fruit (50.7%), seeds (26.0%), leaves (8.2%), [[pith]] (6.8%), flowers (2.7%), and animal matter (4.1%), with other foods making up the remaining 1.4%.<ref name="Tutin1997">{{cite journal|author1=Tutin, C. E.|author2=Ham, R. M.|author3=White, L. J.|author4=Harrison, M. J.|pmid=9108968|title=The primate community of the Lopé Reserve, Gabon: diets, responses to fruit scarcity, and effects on biomass|year=1997|volume=42|issue=1|pages=1–24|doi=10.1002/(SICI)1098-2345(1997)42:1<1::AID-AJP1>3.0.CO;2-0|journal=American Journal of Primatology|s2cid=37902903}}</ref> During the wet season, mandrills forage in continuous forest, when fruit is most available, while during the dry season they feed in gallery forests and at the borders of savannas and forests.<ref name="Rogers 1996"/>
[[File:Parc zoo limbe69.jpg|thumb|Mandrills eating fruit|alt=Mandrills behind a fence eating fruit]]
The mandrill's preferred fruits include those of the [[Anacardiaceae|cashew]] species ''[[Pseudospondias microcarpa]]'', the [[Rubiaceae|coffee]] species ''[[Nauclea diderrichii]]'' and the [[Hypericaceae|wort]] species ''[[Psorospermum febrifugum]]''.<ref name="Rogers 1996"/> Mandrills consume more seeds than many other primate species.<ref name="Hoshino 1985">{{cite journal|author=Hoshino, J.|title=Feeding ecology of mandrills (''Mandrillus sphinx'') in Campo Animal Reserve, Cameroon|doi=10.1007/BF02382401|year=1985|journal=Primates|volume=26|issue=3|pages=248–273|s2cid=12216632}}</ref> Adult male mandrills are one of the few primates capable of biting through the hard shell of ''[[Detarium microcarpum]]'' seeds.<ref name="Tutin1997"/> For vegetation, they mostly eat the young leaves, shoots and piths of [[monocot]] plants.<ref name="Hoshino 1985"/> In particular, mandrills consume leaves from the [[Marantaceae|arrowroots]] ''[[Haumania liebrechtsiana]]'' and ''[[Trachyphrynium braunianum]]'', as well as the piths of ginger plants like ''[[Renealmia macrocolia]]'' and species in the genus ''[[Aframomum]]''.<ref name="Rogers 1996"/> They are also known to consume mushrooms.<ref name="Hoshino 1985"/>

The rest of a mandrill's diet is largely made up of invertebrates, particularly [[ant]]s, [[termite]]s, [[Cricket (insect)|cricket]]s, [[spider]]s, [[snail]]s, and [[scorpion]]s. They also eat birds and their eggs, frogs and rodents.<ref name="Hoshino 1985" /><ref name="Kudo 1985"/> Mandrills have been recorded preying on larger vertebrates such as juvenile [[Bay Duiker|bay duiker]]s. Such prey is killed with a bite to the head followed by pulling off the hind limbs and tearing open the belly. Individuals may cooperate during hunting and share kills.<ref name="Kudo 1985">{{cite journal|author1=Kudo, H.|author2=Mitani, M.|title=New record of predatory behavior by the mandrill in Cameroon|doi=10.1007/BF02382015|year=1985|journal=Primates|volume=26|issue=2|pages=161–167|s2cid=20928597}}</ref>

===Predators, parasites and pathogens===
[[Leopard]]s may prey on mandrills, as traces of mandrill have been found in their feces.<ref name= Henschel>{{cite journal|last1=Henschel|first1=P.|last2=Abernethy|first2=K. A.|last3=White|first3=L. J. T.|year=2005|title=Leopard food habits in the Lopé National Park, Gabon, Central Africa|journal=African Journal of Ecology|volume=43|issue=1|pages=21–28|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2028.2004.00518.x|bibcode=2005AfJEc..43...21H }}</ref> Other potential predators include [[African rock python]]s, [[crowned eagle]]s and chimpanzees.<ref name="Harrison 1988"/>{{sfn|Dixson|2015|p=71}} Leopards are a threat to all individuals, while eagles are only threats to the young.<ref name="Yorzinski 2008"/>{{sfn|Dixson|2015|p=71}} In a study where a mandrill group was exposed to models of leopards and crown eagles, the leopard models tended to cause the mandrills to flee up trees while the eagles were more likely to drive them to take cover. The dominant male did not flee from either model types; in the case of the leopards, he paced around while looking in their direction. [[Alarm signal|Alarm call]]s were more commonly heard in response to leopards than eagles.<ref name="Yorzinski 2008">{{cite journal|author1=Yorzinski, J. L.|author2=Vehrencamp, S. L.|year=2008|title=Preliminary report: antipredator behaviors of mandrills|journal=Primate Report|volume=75|pages=11–18|url=https://yorzinskilab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/yorzinskivehrencamp_2008.pdf}}</ref>

Mandrills can become infected with gastrointestinal parasites, such as [[nematode]]s and [[protozoa]]. [[Cordylobia anthropophaga|Tumbu fly]] larvae may live under the skin and individuals that walk though grassland can get infested with [[tick]]s. Blood parasites include the [[malaria]]-causing ''[[Plasmodium]]'' and the nematode ''[[Loa loa]]'', which is transmitted by bites from [[deer fly|deer flies]].{{sfn|Dixson|2015|pp=71–73}} Wild mandrills have tested positive for SIV, [[enterovirus]]es of the species [[Enterovirus#Taxonomy|EV-J]] and [[astrovirus]]es, including a human variant.<ref name=Telfer/><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Mombo, I. M.|author2=Boundenga, L.|author3=Suquet, E.|display-authors=etal|year=2021|title=Natural infection of free-ranging mandrills (''Mandrillus sphinx'') by enteroviruses and astroviruses in southern Gabon|journal=Microbial Pathogenesis|volume=150|page=104659|doi=10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104659|pmid=33249166|s2cid=227236595}}</ref>