Going Ape

Red-eared guenons (Cercopithecus erythrotis) Gabon talapoin (Miopithecus ogouensis) and young, semi-postal stamp designed by V. Sanchez Algora and L. Estaban, printed by photogravure, and issued for use in Spanish Guinea on November 23, 1955 for Colonial Stamp Day, Scott No. B36, SG No. 369 409.

- nethryk

Hi Nethryk: Does the catalog identify the above monkeys as red-eared guenons? They are clearly talapoin monkeys, with their round, big ears and relatively large heads; the guenon species would show whiskers and a crest of hair on the head. I am sure this is also the case in other topical collections but it is often amusing what you get offered, or, other side of the coin, what you can miss through misidentification. I often find other tree climbing creatures such as sloths, tree kangaroos and couscous when doing a search for "monkey". Some people know lemurs are primates, but not many, that flying lemurs are not; tarsiers and bushbabies (galagos) are primates but can often be labelled strangely... to do them justice, here are some lemur and tarsier issues; the tarsier sheet is another great example of the trend to depict rare and endangered species. Some of those illustrated are even relatively new to science!

cobie - Interesting observation. Scott (2008 ed.) describes the monkeys on the Spanish Guinea stamp as "Red-eared Guenons." SG (1965 ed.) describes the design as "Monkey and young." But I am certainly no expert on primates. Perhaps it is only the adult males who sport the whiskers you mentioned?

Here is an image of a stamp depicting chimpanzees and a rare flower, printed by photogravure, and issued by Japan on March 2, 1992 to publicize the 8th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), held in Kyoto, Japan, March 2-13, 1992, Scott No. 2131.

- nethryk

Hello nethryk:

Maybe Scott referred to the other stamps in the set which do show guenons?

Here are pictures of a talalpoin (from http://www.factzoo.com/mammals/tala...monkey.html, where there are more pictures)



and here is one of a red-eared guenon (from the website of the Bioko Diversity Program, http://bioko3.info/ecotourism/pico.php).



And here is another ape stamp:



Quite good, but I must say I really like to see more non-ape stamps - everyone knows gorillas and orangutans are endangered but who knows that the most endagered primate species are some of the gibbons and langurs of South-East Asia? I'll try and find some stamps of them. Best wishes all, Cobie

This a 2002 issue from Vietnam (SG2486/93, also issued as a sheetlet, MS2495. Almost all species illustrated are listed as endangered, some as critically endangered.

Here is an image of a new stamp depicting Tarzan of the Apes clinging to a vine, and in the background a profile of his creator, American author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950), designed by American artist Sterling Hundley (1976- ), printed by lithogravure, and issued by the USA on August 17, 2012 to commemorate the centenary of the publication of Burroughs's first Tarzan story, Scott No. pending.

- nethryk

cobie - Re: Red-eared guenons. Nope, that is definitely how the design on the above-posted Spanish Guinea stamp is identified in the 2008 edition of the Scott catalogue. But wait, it gets even stranger. These monkeys are (mis)identified as "Titi Monkeys" in the 1965 edition of Scott! That makes no sense at all as titis are a genus of New World monkeys, and Spanish Guinea was an African colony of Spain (and now the independent nation of Equatorial Guinea.) Perhaps Scott will finally get it right in a future edition.

- nethryk

Hello nethryk: Catalogs do not always get it right... Here is the latest Tarzan stamp (there also is a sheetlet of 6 with Cheetah, Tarzan, Jane and Boy featured) with a young Cheetah.

Gorilla, printed by photogravure, and issued for use in the Spanish colony of Rio Muni on November 23, 1962 for Stamp Day, Scott No. 20, SG No. 33.

- nethryk

Hi Nethryk and Cobie,

I see Gibbons (appropriate to this thread!) lists the Spanish Guinea design as "Talapoin and young", SG 409.

nigelc - Thanks for your authoritative anthropoid input. I'll now edit my original post accordingly. - nethryk

Thanks for the info from me too - there are only two stamps with talapoins that I know of (can't find the other right now). Talapoins are an intriguing species, living in marshes and apparently they seem to be able to adapt to humans and human habitation rather well. They are quite rare in zoos, though.

To expand the primate family in this posting, here's some bushbabies from Liberia, 2001 as far as I know. They are not in SG:

From China :



Maybe just a replica...I don't know

Here is an image of a stamp depicting monkeys (enjoying a hot tub?), printed by photogravure, and issued as the first Nagano Prefecture stamp by Japan on April 1, 1989, Scott No. Z1.

- nethryk

Just issued: A set and MS featuring "Jambo", the male gorilla in Jersey Zoo who became famous for his protective behaviour of a child that fell in the ditch around the enclosure...
the scans are those of the Jersey Stamp Office website http://www.jerseypost.com/Stamps/Pa...Default.aspx