The Mandrill And Drill Faceoff: Old World Monkeys Facts Revealed!

Mandrills and drills are both interesting monkeys with a significant number of similarities and differences.

In fact, the drill and mandrill are so closely related that they can almost pass as cousins! For instance, mandrills and drills share the same body size, are omnivorous, have a well-colored backside, and are both lively primates.

These two species in the Old World monkey family are considered to be the only two living species in the Mandrillus genus. Many people often confuse drills with mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and vice versa because of how similar they look but if you look closely, you can spot many differences.

Drills and mandrills are found both in reduced populations in the western part of Central Africa.

Drills specifically occur in western Cameroon and on the Bioko Island and because of factors like deforestation, drills have become endangered. Both these primates make their homes in tropical rainforests and are tree-dwelling monkeys.

The male mandrill is the largest living monkey and the most colorful one too! Adult male mandrills have a red stripe along the center of their muzzle and red across their nostrils which is further framed by blue.

Mandrills also have a golden yellow beard while drills have a shorter white beard. The genitalia of the drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) and mandrill are also brightly colored, particularly in the dominant males.

Mandrills are polygynandrous which means that males mate with different mandrill females and the females mate with other mandrill males too.

Adult males start to breed later than most females and usually die without reproducing and hence, the male tends to have a shorter lifespan. Fun fact, the wise old monkey named Rafiki in the popular and well-loved Disney film 'The Lion King' is a mandrill!

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The Difference Between A Drill And A Mandrill

There are a lot of similarities and differences between these two species.

A drill is usually dark gray or brown in color while a mandrill is an olive-greenish animal. Both these tree-dwelling creatures parallel swellings on their long muzzle.

An adult male drill has a crimson lower lip while the adult male mandrill has some of the most bright and unique coloration on its face. The muzzles in mandrills also have nostrils that are ringed with red and framed by blue while the parallel swellings are ridged.

Adolescent male mandrills are initially peripheral after which they become solitary males at around seven to nine years of age. Whereas, drill monkeys are some of the most social animals.

Drills are not as colorful as mandrills. Drills only have their genitals in a red or lilac color which is pretty impressive compared to the mandrill's blue, pink, and white rumps.

A drill is smaller in size when compared to the mandrill. They have a face that is black in color with a lower lip that is crimson. The colors in the faces of the females range from black to bright red or blue. The males tend to be larger than the females in most cases.

The drill and mandrill are both active during the day. A male drill's rump is like a basket full of colorful Easter eggs!

The colorful indicator in this Mandrillus species is actually a sign of the male's rank. The way the group size is formed among drills is also interesting as a dominant male tends to head a group of adult females. Among males, one group joins another group and forms about 200 individuals!

Both the drill and mandrill are quadrupedal which means that they move on all fours. A big mandrill has the capability to kill a human easily if agitated or threatened.

Both these terrestrial animals also have unique vocalizations. Mandrills give out roars or grunts from a long distance while from a short distance, they make short screams, k-sounds, and grinds too.

The IUCN Red List has classified mandrills as a Vulnerable species while drills have been classified as an Endangered species. There are currently only 4,000 mandrills, maybe even fewer left in the world.

The reason for their reduced numbers is loss of habitat due to deforestation and illegal bushmeat hunting. Today, many efforts are being made by wildlife conservationists and environmentalists to protect their numbers and ensure that there is no further decline.

Are mandrills and drills related?

Mandrills and drills are closely related and many animal and wildlife experts believe they are cousins! Mandrills and drills are the two species living today that come from the Mandrillus genus and they both come from the Cercopithecidae family.

These two monkeys also share a similar social structure where the dominant male leads both the male groups and the female group. If you take a look at their social behavior, drills and mandrills portray a smile towards one another and this is seen as an amicable expression.

This is generally perceived as a threatening or aggressive action between monkeys but there are only a few species that take it positively.

Their aggressive behavior involves long stares, bobbing of the head, sudden rushing, thumping the ground, or chasing another animal.

Mandrills have been observed to submit or surrender by showing you their rump, fleeing, or avoiding you. Female drills and mandrills are not as easy to spot because male drills and mandrills tend to be more colorful than the females.

What does a mandrill do?

Mandrills, although tree-dwelling, spend most of their time on the ground either walking around or looking for food to eat.

They climb trees to rest or sleep. Normally, mandrills live in troops or groups.

These groups are led by one dominant male and the group includes males, females, and their young ones too. At times, one group with mixed individuals can join another group, forming up to around 200 individuals.

However, it is believed that adult male mandrills leave the group and live a solitary life when they are seven to nine years of age.

What are drill and mandrill referred to?

The drill and the mandrill are both referred to as Old World monkeys. This term refers to a group of primates that have a certain body size, social organization, habitat, and appearance too.

They are also usually found in Asia and Africa, having 132 members in the Cercopithecidae family! They differ from the New World monkeys that mainly live in the Americas.

Another difference between Old World and New World monkeys is that Old World monkeys live in diverse habitats from rainforests to deserts while the latter mostly live in forests and trees.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked reading Mandrill and drill faceoff: Old World monkeys facts revealed!

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