Northern Talapoin

Female Gabon talapoins have a head and body length ranging from 230–340 millimetres (9.1–13.4 in), and weigh 0.8–1.2 kilograms (1.8–2.6 lb). Males are larger and take six years to reach full adult size, with head and body length ranging from 260–360 millimetres (10–14 in), and weigh 1.0–1.72 kilograms (2.2–3.8 lb). Gabon talapoins have an average tail length ranging from 310–450 millimetres (12–18 in). Infants weigh approximately 180 grams (6.3 oz) at birth, and the size of a newborn's head is almost as big as its body. Gabon talapoins are the smallest of the Old World monkey and are considered as dwarf guenons. They are large headed, and unlike the related Angolan talapoin, the Gabon talapoin has flesh-coloured (not blackish) ears and facial skin. There are no distinct colour differences between mature males and females and the young. The Gabon talapoin is short furred, and has a vivid, grizzled yellow-olive crown and back, with golden-yellow coating to its thin limbs, and a dark tipped tail. Its eyelids and lips are yellowish in colour, with noticeable dark streaks on its nose and cheeks. They also have cheek pouches that are useful for storing food. Females have a pink sexual swelling, and males are characterized by their large pale blue scrotum.

Distribution of the Gabon talapoin is centered around the River Ogooué, native to the equatorial coastal ridges between Cabinda and the Nyong River, and further extends to some Congo River branches. It can be found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of the Congo and the Cabinda province of Angola. Presence of Gabon talapoin have been documented along the Djérem River in the gallery forest, within the transition zone between the Central African forest block and the Guinea-Congolia/Sudania savannas. The distribution of the Gabon talapoin is thought to be even larger, but not all observations have been confirmed.

Gabon talapoins usually look for food on the ground, but such terrestrial foraging is seldom observed due to their small size and preference in inhabiting within dense coverings. Foraging is usually done in sub groups, with one feeding session in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Fruits make up nearly 80% of the Gabon talapoin's diet, favouring plums (Uapaca), figs, umbrella tree (Musanga) and mokenjo (Pseudospondias), oil-palm nuts, and fruits of African ginger (Aframomum). Insects consist of about one third of its diet, mainly consisting of orthopterans, with the occasional beetles, caterpillars and spiders. Seeds and leaves form part of their diet as well. Cultivated plantations such as bananas, pawpaws and maize are also attractive food sources for the Gabon talapoin. Near human settlements, harvested cassava tubers soaked in rivers are also sought after by the Gabon talapoins when other food sources are scare. Their fruit and insect rich diets also support ecological balance through the dispersion of seeds and maintenance of insect colonies.