List of 10 Monkeys With Red Butts On Earth (2023)

Monkeys with Red Butts are widely recognized for their distinctive appearance. These monkeys primarily inhabit the Amazonian Rainforests, parts of Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Their red buttocks, which may vary in shade from bright red to dark pink to maroon, are what separate these monkeys from the rest of the primates. Though it may add a humorous element, it plays quite an important role in their social behavior and communication.

The darkness of the shade of the buttocks may signal to the other members information like maturity, age, readiness to mate, and even fertility. So without much ado, let’s jump on to our article.

Why do Monkeys have red or brightly colored butts?

Communication via signals is an essential aspect of the animal world and is done in various ways. Monkeys have red butts, which help to communicate with other individuals about their readiness to mate, as it is a signal of sexual receptivity.

The redness and swelling in most monkeys correspond largely to their menstrual cycle stages, and by interpreting the color or tint of the butt, the opposite individual will know whether it is the right time to mate or not.

Now, let’s discuss the list of 10 monkeys with red butts found in different parts of the world.


List of 10 Monkeys With Red Butts On Earth

1. Mandrill

Mandrill
Mandrill
Scientific Name Mandrillus sphinx
Size 70-95 centimeters (males), 55-70 centimeters (females)
Diet Plants, fruits, seeds, leaves, insects
Life Span 20 years
Geographic Location Native to West Central Africa

The first species in this list of Monkeys with red Butts is the largest and the most colorful monkey, the Mandrill. One can easily recognize these beings by their colorful face and snout, and bright red butts. 

Mandrills are quite stocky beings and live in groups that may sometimes consist of several hundred individuals. While mandrills are not currently considered endangered, they are a vulnerable species, with their populations threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation and hunting.


2. Olive Baboons

Olive Baboons
Olive Baboons
Scientific Name  Papio anubis
Size 33 inches on an average
Diet Omnivorous diet; fruits, grasses, leaves, seeds, lichens, worms, rodents, and also other smaller primates
Life Span 30 years
Geographic Location Throughout Africa

The second monkey in this list of monkeys with red butts is the Red Butt Baboon. Well, red-butt baboons aren’t any separate species of baboon but are individuals who have reached sexual maturity and are ready to mate.

One can easily identify baboons from the brown coats and long snouts in open grasslands or scanty woody areas. The buttocks of female baboons swell up and become redder in response to their menstrual cycle, and this is simply a function of ovulation.

Its redness and swelling reach their peak when the female is most fertile, and with time, it returns to its normal state.


3. Rhesus macaque

Rhesus macaque
Rhesus macaque | Credit: Md. Tareq Aziz Touhid (commons.wikimedia) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Scientific Name Rhesus macaque
Size 19-21 inches
Diet Fruits, seeds, roots, buds, cereals
Life Span 25 years
Geographic Location India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, etc.

The next monkey species is undoubtedly one of the most common old-world monkeys in Asia, especially in the South and Southeast.

Yes, you have guessed it right, it’s the Rhesus Macaque. They mostly live in forests and in cities, which provide them with a regular food source.

Like baboons, the hindquarters of Rhesus monkeys’ females, too, respond to their menstrual stages, and those which have more red bottoms are more likely to be ready to mate than the others.


4. Celebes Crested Macaque

Celebes Crested Macaque
Celebes Crested Macaque
Scientific Name Macaca nigra
Size 17-24 inches
Diet Fruits, invertebrates
Life Span 15-20 years in the wild
Geographic Location Sulawesi in Indonesia

Both male and female Celebes have red bottoms. However, what differentiates the females from the males is the bright red bottoms, especially when they are at the peak of their menstrual cycle, i.e. when they are in heat.

During those times, their bottoms swell up to a great extent but return to normal once the days of heat are over.


5. Japanese Macaque

Japanese Macaque
Japanese Macaque
Scientific Name Macaca fuscata
Size 20.6-22.4 inches
Diet Plants, insects, leaves, fallen seeds
Life Span 28-32 years
Geographic Location Native to Japan

The Japanese Macaque is another old-world monkey native to Japan, as its name suggests. Like their Southeast Asian counterparts, their red buttocks, especially during the mating season, makes them a member of this list of Monkeys with red Butts.

The red hindquarters help in signaling whether the individual is ready to mate or not. The redness and the swelling are a function of the ovulation cycle.


6. Chimpanzee

Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Scientific Name Pan troglodytes
Size Standing height of 3.11 -4.11 feet
Diet Omnivore; feeds on fruits, seeds, and also other monkeys, bushbabies, warthogs
Life Span 35 years
Geographic Location Forests and Savannah of Tropical Africa


Though Chimpanzees do not have a pronounced red butt, like the other monkey species, we have included them in this list of Monkeys with red butts.

The females especially have hairless pale red bottoms that may vary in shade and size, corresponding to the ovulation cycle.

According to researchers, the eyes of primates are sensitive enough to differentiate the tints of red and comprehend accordingly whether the female is ready to mate or not.


7. Bonnet Macaque

Bonnet Macaque
Bonnet Macaque
Scientific Name Macaca radiate
Size 14-24 inches
Diet Fruits, flowers, nuts, seeds, insects
Life Span 35 years
Geographic Location Southern India

The Bonnet Macaque, a close relative of the Rhesus monkeys, occupies the 7th position in this list of Monkeys with Red Butts.

Bonnets come with brownish-grey fur and pink to red bottoms, which again, like the other species, correspond to their menstruation cycles.

A striking feature of Bonnet Macaque is their social structure which follows “equal rights for all’, where there is the least competition among males, and they often engage in several grooming activities, something that differentiates them from other macaque species.


8. Hamadryas Baboon

Hamadryas Baboon
Hamadryas Baboon | credit: animalspot
Scientific Name Papio hamadryas
Size 31 inches
Diet Grasses, fruits, seeds, worms, barks, leaves, insects
Life Span 27-30 years
Geographic Location Eastern Africa

The Bonnet Macaque, a close relative of the Rhesus monkeys, occupies the 8th position in this list of Monkeys with Red Butts. Bonnets come with brownish-grey fur and pink to red bottoms, which again, like the other species, correspond to their menstruation cycles.

A striking feature of Bonnet Macaque is their social structure which follows “equal rights for all’, where there is the least competition among males, and they often engage in several grooming activities, something that differentiates them from other macaque species.


9. Guinea Baboon

Guinea Baboon
Guinea Baboon
Scientific Name Papio papio
Size 20-45 inches
Diet Fruits, grasses. flowers, seeds, insects, carrion, birds
Life Span 40 years
Geographic Location Western Africa

In the 9th position of this list of monkeys with red butts, we have Guinea Baboons. These, like their other counterparts, have red butts, which tells us about their sexual readiness.

The IUCN lists Guinea Baboons as a near-threatened species due to their small range and severe habitat loss.


10. Chacma Baboon

Scientific Name Papio ursinus
Size 20-45 inches
Diet opportunistic omnivorous feeder feeds on fruits, grasses, seeds, birds, insects
Life Span 40 years
Geographic Location Southern Africa

In the last position, we have one of the largest monkey species, the Chacma Baboon, better known as the cape baboon.

They are social beings, like other monkey species, and are particularly more aggressive, and often become sub-urban due to habitat loss.

However, they often fall prey to large predators like leopards and African Wild dogs and therefore show aggression to fend them off.

Here, we conclude our article on “List of 10 Monkeys With Red Butts On Earth.” We hope you like our post. If yes, then please turn on the post notification so that you will get the latest updates.

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