Chlorocebus is a genus of medium-sized primates from the family of Old World monkeys. Six species are currently recognized, although some people classify them all as a single species with numerous subspecies. Either way, they make up the entirety of the genus Chlorocebus. Confusingly, the terms "vervet monkey" and "green monkey" are sometimes used to refer to the whole genus Chlorocebus, though they also refer more precisely to species Chlorocebus pygerythrus and Chlorocebus sabaeus, respectively, neither of which is the type species for Chlorocebus. This article uses the term Chlorocebus consistently for the genus and the common names only for the species. The native range of these monkeys is sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Ethiopia south to South Africa. However, in previous centuries, a number of them were taken as pets by early Caribbean settlers and slave traders, and were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean islands. The monkeys subsequently escaped or were released and became naturalized. Today, they are found on the West Indian islands of Barbados, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, and Saint Martin. A colony also exists in Broward County, Florida. Taxonomy The classification of the Chlorocebus monkeys is undergoing change. They were previously lumped together with the medium-sized arboreal African monkeys of the guenon genus, Cercopithecus, where they were classified as a single species, Cercopithecus aethiops. More species and subspecies are expected to be identified as scientists study this genus further. The most basal member of the genus is thought to be the dryas monkey (C. dryas), which was previously classified in Cercopithecus and may potentially warrant its own genus. Physical description The dorsal fur of Chlorocebus monkeys varies by species from pale yellow through grey-green brown to dark brown, while the lower portion and the hair ring around the face is a whitish yellow. The face, hands, and feet are hairless and black, although their abdominal skin is bluish. Males have a blue scrotum and red penis. The monkeys are sexually dimorphic, wild adult males range from and females are , including a tail measuring . Males weigh from and females weigh from . Behavior and ecology Unlike the closely related guenons, Chlorocebus species are not primarily forest dwellers. Rather, they are semi-arboreal and semi-terrestrial, spending most of the day on the ground feeding and then sleeping at night in the trees. However, they must drink each day and are dependent on water, so