The core of the group are females, led by the dominant female. One or more adult males may associate with the group. Most mangabeys are peaceful and rarely display dominance behaviour. As they forage, the group may break up into smaller groups. When food is plentiful, groups may merge into large but temporary associations of up to 50.
All species associate freely with other primates, mainly guenons .
Their home range is generally small. When the female is ready to breed, her buttocks swell as a visual signal to the males. The first shipment of these primates were labelled as coming from Mangabe, a port in Madagascar. Mangabeys are very vocal and their calls are often the first and only indication of their presence. Troop members frequently call in chorus.