NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Mandrill
Mandrillus sphinx (Linnaeus, 1758)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is a large Old World monkey native to west central Africa. It is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, with red and blue skin on its face and posterior. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males have a larger body, longer canine teeth and brighter coloring. Its closest living relative is the drill, with which it shares the genus Mandrillus. Both species were traditionally thought to be baboons, but further evidence has shown that they are more closely related to white-eyelid mangabeys. Mandrills mainly live in tropical rainforests but will also travel across savannas. They are active during the day and spend most of their time on the ground. Their preferred foods are fruit and seeds, but mandrills will consume leaves, piths, mushrooms, and animals from insects to juvenile bay duiker. Mandrills live in large, stable groups known as "hordes" which can number in the hundreds. Females form the core of these groups, while adult males are solitary and only reunite with the larger groups during the breeding season.
Wikipedia contributors, Mandrill; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T01:22:57.030423+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Mandrillus sphinx (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common name
- Mandrill
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Cercopithecidae
- Genus
- Mandrillus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderPrimates Linnaeus, 1758
- suborderHaplorrhini Pocock, 1918
- infraorderSimiiformes Haeckel, 1866
- superfamilyCercopithecoidea Gray, 1821
- familyCercopithecidae Gray, 1821
- subfamilyCercopithecinae Gray, 1821
- tribePapionini
- genusMandrillus Ritgen, 1824
- speciesMandrillus sphinx (Linnaeus, 1758)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Mandrillus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| DrillMandrillus leucophaeus (F. Cuvier, 1807) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Maimon burlacei Rothschild, 1922 Rothschild, 1922 | synonym |
| Mandrillus schreberi Matschie, 1917 Matschie, 1917 | synonym |
| Simia latidens Bechstein, 1799 Bechstein, 1799 | synonym |
| Simia mormon Alströmer, 1766 Alströmer, 1766 | synonym |
| Simia pennanti Griffith, 1827 Griffith, 1827 | synonym |
| Mandrillus insularis Zukowsky, 1922 Zukowsky, 1922 | synonym |
| Mandrillus escherichi Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 | synonym |
| Mandrillus hagenbecki Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 | synonym |
| Mandrillus tessmanni Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 | synonym |
| Mandrillus zenkeri Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 | synonym |
| Papio planirostris Elliot, 1909 Elliot, 1909 | synonym |
| Simia madarogaster Zimmermann, 1780 Zimmermann, 1780 | synonym |
| Simia maimon (Linnaeus, 1766) (Linnaeus, 1766) | synonym |
| Simia suilla Kerr, 1792 Kerr, 1792 | synonym |
| Mandrillus zenkeri ebolowae Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 Matschie & Zukowsky, 1917 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=573031 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3XTLH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.