Distribution of the green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) in the coastal zone of Côte d'Ivoire

The green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) of West Africa ranges from the north-west coast of Senegal to the White Volta in Ghana. In Côte d'Ivoire, C. sabaeus was thought to be mainly distributed through the savannah and savannah-forest mosaic habitats north of the rain forest zone. During primate surveys in the forest zone of southern Cte d'Ivoire we were unable to confirm the presence of C. sabaeus in any of the forest reserves; however, we did find the species in a littoral forest outside its expected range. Chlorocebus sabaeus was also reported from two other forests in the coastal region of Cte d'Ivoire. The discovery of these three populations is surprising and shows that there is an urgent need for more surveys in the region. The absence of C. sabaeus in areas where it was reported 30 years ago is another alarming indication concerning the conservation of primates in Cte d'Ivoire.