This red colobus lives in groups in moist lowland and riverine forests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The described red form has mahogany to bright rufous upperparts and whitish-buff underparts.
In the red type Groves (2007) associated with lulindicus and kabambarei, the coat is shorter and glossy and the crest is reduced. The upperparts range from intense mahogany red to bright rufous, with whitish-buff underparts. The paper also notes intermediates and variation.
The 2020 IUCN assessment reports that all observations have been in forests, including terra firma forest, moist lowland forest and sites along rivers. The animals live in groups.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.