Unlike most monkeys, patas monkeys spend most of their time on the ground rather than up in trees. This is because they live in open grassland where there are not many tall trees — so they have become brilliant runners instead of brilliant climbers. Those long legs are built for speed and can carry a patas monkey faster than most dogs.
Patas monkeys live in groups of around twenty to thirty individuals. The group usually has one adult male who keeps watch on a tall termite mound or rock, scanning the horizon for any danger. If he spots a predator, he calls out and the whole group dashes for safety in different directions — confusing the predator with so many moving targets at once.
They eat a wide variety of food — berries, seeds, insects, lizards, and even birds' eggs if they can find them. Because they cover large distances every day looking for food, patas monkeys know their territory extremely well and follow seasonal patterns, moving to places where they know food will be ripe at certain times of year.
Patas monkeys are curious and playful. Young ones tumble and chase each other across the grass while the adults forage nearby. Scientists who study them say the babies learn their routes and favourite food spots by watching the older members of the group very carefully.