Perl Graphics Programming

Colophon

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The animal on the cover of Perl Graphics Programming is a red colubus monkey (Procolobus badius). This equatorial African species has a blackish back, long dark tail, tan belly, and a red crown on its head. Males (20 pounds) are larger than females (13 pounds) and have more bushy hair. They usually live in troops of 30–80 individuals, with a hierarchy based on dominant males. These monkeys rest for long periods of time, a trait sometimes attributed to their unique diet and digestive system. The red colubus eats only leaves, and digests tough plant cells in the same way that many hoofed animals do: it has a four-chambered stomach in which bacterial fermentation breaks down cellulose and releases nutrients.

While leopards and chimpanzees prey on red colubus monkeys, humans pose the largest threat. These monkeys do not fear hunters, and their bright color, loud alarm calls, and dormant nature make them an easy target. The most critically endangered among the approximately 18 species and subspecies in Africa today are the Iana River red colubus (Kenya) and the Bouvier’s red colubus (Republic of Congo). In the year 2000, the Miss Waldron’s subspecies (Ghana, Ivory Coast) was declared extinct, making it the first primate species eradicated ...