What common name is used for Mandrillus leucophaeus?

What common name is used for Mandrillus leucophaeus? The answer is Drill.

The drill is an Old World monkey in the family Cercopithecidae and the genus Mandrillus. It is closely related to the mandrill, but the two are separate species: the drill is Mandrillus leucophaeus, while the mandrill is Mandrillus sphinx.

Drills live in fragmented forest habitats in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea, including Bioko Island. They are large, mainly ground-dwelling monkeys with dark faces, elongated muzzles, cheek pads, and brightly colored markings in adult males. Those colors can vary with social rank and are especially noticeable around the chin and rump.

A common mix-up is choosing “mandrill” because both species belong to Mandrillus and look similar. The distinction is important: drills generally have less spectacular facial coloration than mandrills, and their ranges are separated partly by the Sanaga River. The drill is endangered because of habitat loss, hunting, and population fragmentation.