The patas monkey is the fastest primate on the planet. One individual was tracked reaching a top speed of 33 mph in three seconds. Both arm and leg length are about the same. Patas monkeys have golden reddish coats with light undersides. Males also have longer hairs around the shoulders creating a slight mane appearance and a light colored mustache.
Males are approximately twice the size of females.
Males weigh up to 13 kg and females up to 7 kg. They avoid dense forests but will use trees for shade during the heat of the day. Troops of patas also fan out in trees at night with one monkey per tree. Grass, fruit, seeds, occasional insects and even lizards. Groups of patas monkeys typically range from 9 to 30 individuals with groups of as large as 200 reported.