ABOUT Monkeys
Proboscis monkey, (Nasalis larvatus)
Long-tailed arboreal primate found along rivers and in swampy mangrove forests of Borneo. Named for the male’s long and pendulous nose, the proboscis monkey is red-brown with pale underparts. The nose is smaller in the female and is upturned in the young. Males are 56–72 cm (22–28 inches) long and average 20 kg (44 pounds), but females weigh only about 10 kg (22 pounds). The tail is about the same length as the body. Proboscis monkeys live in groups of about 20 consisting of a single male and up to a dozen females; males live in bachelor groups. The young have blue faces and are born singly, apparently at any time of year; gestation is estimated at five to six months. Proboscis monkeys wade upright through water, which makes them exceptional among monkeys in being habitually bipedal.
Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus).
Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus).
Despite government protection, habitat destruction has caused a decline in the population of this species. Proboscis monkeys belong to the same subfamily as langurs and colobus monkeys of the family Cercopithecidae.
Mandrill, (Mandrillus sphinx)
colourful and primarily ground-dwelling monkey that inhabits the rainforests of equatorial Africa from the Sanaga River (Cameroon) southward to the Congo River. The mandrill is stout-bodied and has a short tail, prominent brow ridges, and small, close-set, sunken eyes. The adult male has bare coloured patches of skin on both the face and the buttocks. On the face the cheeks are ribbed and range in colour from bright blue to violet, with scarlet along the bridge and end of the nose. The buttock pads are pink to crimson, shading to bluish at the sides. The long body fur is olive to brown, and the small beard and the neck fur are yellow; the eyes are framed in black. The adult male is about 90 cm (3 feet) long, including the tail stub, and weighs up to 35 kg (77 pounds), which makes it the largest of all Old World monkeys. The female, also with bare face and buttocks, is duller in colour and considerably smaller, only about 13 kg (29 pounds) on average. Like baboons, females develop swellings on their hindquarters when they are in estrus.
mandrills
mandrills
Mandrills feed on fruit, roots, insects, and small reptiles and amphibians. They live in troops consisting of a male and several (occasionally up to 20) females along with their young. At times several troops come together and travel in enormous aggregations of 100 or more.
Crested black macaque
Crested black macaque, (Macaca nigra), also called Celebes crested macaque, a mainly arboreal Indonesian monkey named for the narrow crest of hair that runs along the top of the head from behind the overhanging brow. The crested black macaque is found only in the Minahasa region on the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) and on nearby Bacan Island, where it was probably introduced by humans. Although sometimes incorrectly called an ape, the crested black macaque is a monkey belonging to the family Cercopithecidae.
Stump-tailed and covered with dark brown or black fur, its body is 55–65 cm (22–26 inches) long. Adult females weigh about 5.5 kg (12 pounds) and adult males nearly 10 kg. The long, flat muzzle is black and nearly hairless. Active during the day and primarily arboreal, this monkey feeds on fruit in its tropical forest habitat. Troops are large, usually numbering 20 or more, and each troop includes several adult males.
Gibbon monkey
Gibbon, (family Hylobatidae), any of approximately 20 species of small apes found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Gibbons, like the great apes (gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos), have a humanlike build and no tail, but gibbons seem to lack higher cognitive abilities and self-awareness. They also differ from great apes in having longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac used for amplifying sound. Gibbon voices are loud, are musical in tone, and carry over long distances. The most characteristic vocalization is the “great call,” usually a duet in which the female leads and the male joins in with less complex notes, used as a territorial marker by both sexes. The various species of gibbons can be divided into four genera: Hoolock, Hylobates, Nomascus, and Symphalangus. Molecular data indicate that the four groups are as different from one another as chimpanzees are from humans.
gibbons (family Hylobatidae)
gibbons (family Hylobatidae)
Gibbons are arboreal and move from branch to branch with speed and great agility by swinging from their arms (brachiating). On the ground, gibbons walk erect with the arms held aloft or behind. They are active during the day and live in small monogamous groups that defend territories in the treetops. They feed mainly on fruit, with varying proportions of leaves and with some insects and bird eggs as well as young birds. Single offspring are born after about seven months’ gestation and take seven years to mature.
Marmoset monkey
Marmoset, (family Callitrichidae), any of numerous species of small long-tailed South American monkeys. Similar in appearance to squirrels, marmosets are tree-dwelling primates that move in a quick jerky manner. Claws on all the digits except the big toe aid them in scampering along branches, where they primarily eat insects in addition to fruit, tree sap, and other small animals. Marmosets are active during the day and live in small groups. The gestation period is four to six months, depending on species; twins are the norm, with single births being about as common as triplets. Marmosets have been kept as pets since the early 17th century, but they require knowledgeable care to remain healthy.
cotton-top tamarins
cotton-top tamarins
cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
There are three groups of marmosets: the “true” marmosets, the tamarins, and Goeldi’s monkey (Callimico goeldi). Also called Goeldi’s marmoset, this species is found only in the western Amazon River basin. Black in colour and maned, it differs from other marmosets in that it possesses a third set of molars and does not bear twins. Though Goeldi’s monkey was formerly thought to be an evolutionary intermediate between marmosets and the other New World monkeys, molecular genetics now indicate that it is a member of the marmoset family.
Japanese macaque
The Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) is a terrestrial Old World monkey species. Colloquially, they are referred to as "snow monkeys" because some live in areas where snow covers the ground for months each year - no other non-human primate is more northern-living, nor lives in a colder climate. In Japan, these monkeys are known as Nihonzaru (Nihon "Japan" + saru "monkey") to distinguish them from other primates, but Japanese macaques are very familiar in Japan, so when Japanese people simply say saru, they usually have in mind the Japanese macaque.
The Golden Monkeys
The Golden Monkeys (genus Rhinopithecus), any of four species of large and unusual leaf monkeys (see langur) found in highland forests of central China and northern Vietnam. They have a broad, short face with wide-set slanting eyes and a short, flat nose with forward-facing nostrils.
The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) lives in the coniferous montane forests of central China at elevations of 1,800–2,700 metres (6,000–9,000 feet), where the temperature drops below freezing in winter and rises only to about 25 °C (77 °F) in summer. They have rich golden brown to golden red fur, and the tail is about the same length as the body. Males have a long mantle of black and golden hairs on the back. Their bodies measure about 62 cm (24 inches) long, and they weigh 16–17 kg (35–37 pounds). Females are slightly smaller, weighing only about 9–10 kg. The trefoil-shaped face of the golden snub-nosed monkey is pale blue, and adult males develop strange red swellings at the corners of the mouth. The scientific name refers to Roxellana, consort of the Ottoman sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, who had reddish gold hair.
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