Discovery and taxonomy
The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey was first discovered in 2010 from Gaoligong Mountains of northeastern Kachin state in Myanmar. The species came to the attention of a team of scientists allied to the "Myanmar Primate Conservation Program" [9] who were researching the status of the hoolock gibbon. [10] The team, led by Swiss primatologist Thomas Geissman and Ngwe Lwin of the Myanmar Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), were supported by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) [9] and the People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF). They reported the scientific identification in the American Journal of Primatology in 2011. [4] The distinguishing features of the monkey are its fur, beard and tail. [4] The specific name strykeri was given in honour of philanthropist Jon Stryker, president and founder of the Arcus Foundation, which also sponsored the project. [11] [12]
The type specimen was identified from the Maw River area. The specimen most closely examined was the skull (with mandible) and skin of a gutted adult male obtained from hunters in Pade, subsequently deposited in the Anthropological Institute and Museum of the University of Zürich. Additional sample skulls of animals killed some three years earlier, one male and one female, were also collected along with a bag made out of the skin of a juvenile caught in January 2010, all obtained in Htantan village. [4]
The team encountered seven live specimens, including an infant, but these moved out of sight before they could be photographed or studied in detail. [8] Other specimens were later found in the Yunnan Province and Salween River Basin in China. [3] [6] A camera trap set by a team of FFI, BANCA and PRCF researchers captured the first known images of live snub-nosed monkeys in January 2012. [13]
Physical characteristics
The monkey's fur is mostly black. Its crown consists of a thin, high, forward-curved crest of long, black hairs. It has protruding white ear tufts, a mostly naked face with pale pink skin, a "moustache" of whitish hairs above the upper lip, and a distinct white chin beard. The perineal area is white and clearly defined, and the limbs are mostly black; the inner sides of the upper arms and upper legs are blackish brown. The lips are prominent, and the nose upturned, allegedly causing the animal to sneeze in rainy weather. [14]
As in other snub-nosed monkeys (members of Rhinopithecus) there is distinct sexual dimorphism with males having relatively larger bodies. [3] Their tails are relatively long and normally approximately 1.4 times their body length. The first found specimen, an adult male, has a height of 55.5 centimetres (21.9 in), and a tail 78 cm (31 in) long. [15] From several specimens available, males on average measure 55.5 cm in height with 78 cm tail length, weighing 17 kg; while females are 53 cm tall with 64.5 cm tail length, and weighing 9 to 11.6 kg. [3]
Distribution and habitat
The species spend summer months in temperate mixed forests at upper elevations of their range, and descend to lower ground in the winter to escape snow. [16] In contrast to other snub-nosed monkeys which are mostly ground dwellers, the Myanmar snub-nosed monkeys are highly arboreal in habitat behaviour spending much of their times on trees. [3] Males are outnumbered females by 1 to 2.1. [17]
When first discovered, the only known specimens existed in three or four groups within a 270 square kilometres (100 sq mi) range at 1,700 to 3,200 metres (5,600–10,500 ft) above sea level in the eastern Himalayas, in the north-eastern section of Kachin State, the northernmost part of Burma (Myanmar). In 2011, a population was discovered in Pianma, Lushui County, Yunnan, China. [18] The species is isolated from other snub-nosed Rhinopithecus by the Mekong and the Salween rivers; the other 4 species, golden, black, gray and Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys, are found in China and Vietnam. [10] The species shares habitat with Shortridge's langur, stump-tailed macaque, Assam macaque, rhesus macaque, and northern pig-tailed macaque. [19]
On the morning of 16 October 2011, a forest guard at Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve in China took photos of a group of snub-nosed monkeys which were later identified as R. strykeri. This made a breaking headline in China especially on the urgent need for a conservation programme. [6]
Habitat evaluation study shows that the Myanmar or black snub-nosed monkeys' habitat are covering 3670 km2 in Sino-Myanmar border, including core habitat of 1420 km2 . [20]
Feeding habit study shows this species can consume more than 170 plant species and fungal foods, 15 species of lichens. [21]
Old World monkey is the common English name for a family of primates known taxonomically as the Cercopithecidae. Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons, red colobus and macaques. Common names for other Old World monkeys include the talapoin, guenon, colobus, douc, vervet, gelada, mangabey, langur, mandrill, surili (Presbytis), patas, and proboscis monkey. Phylogenetically, they are more closely related to apes than to New World monkeys. They diverged from a common ancestor of New World monkeys around 45 to 55 million years ago.
The hoolock gibbons are three primate species of genus Hoolock in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae, native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India, Myanmar, and Southwest China.
Snub-nosed monkeys are a group of Old World monkeys and make up the entirety of the genus Rhinopithecus. The genus is rare and not fully researched. Some taxonomists group snub-nosed monkeys together with the genus Pygathrix.
Fauna & Flora is an international nature conservation charity and non-governmental organization dedicated to protecting the planet's threatened wildlife and habitats. As the world’s first international conservation charity, Fauna & Flora has been shaping best practice in community-focused conservation for over 120 years. Today, the charity works closely with local conservation partners in almost 50 countries to protect habitats, revive the ocean, reduce extinctions, stop illegal wildlife trade, combat climate change and influence global policy and corporate sustainability.
The black-and-white snub-nosed monkey, also known as the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, is a large black and white primate that lives only in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, where it is known to the locals as the Yunnan golden hair monkey (滇金丝猴) and the black-and-white snub-nosed monkey (黑白仰鼻猴). The common name, black snub-nosed monkey, is issued to Rhinopithecus strykeri, inhabiting the Northern Sino-Myanmar border. Coniferous and deciduous forests in the mountainous regions of Yunnan are the ideal terrain for these primates. It is threatened by habitat loss, and is considered an endangered species. With their unique adaptations to their environment, these monkeys thrive at extreme altitudes despite the below freezing temperatures and thin air. This primate's diet is mainly made up of the large amounts of lichens available in their region.
The gray snub-nosed monkey, also known as Brelich's snub-nosed monkey, Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, and Guizhou golden monkey, is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It is endemic to China, where it is known as the Guizhou golden hair monkey (黔金丝猴) or gray golden hair monkey (灰金丝猴). It is threatened by habitat loss. Of the three species of snub-nosed monkeys in China, the gray snub-nosed monkey is the most threatened, with a total population thought to number fewer than 400 individuals.
The golden snub-nosed monkey is an Old World monkey in the subfamily Colobinae. It is endemic to a small area in temperate, mountainous forests of central and Southwest China. They inhabit these mountainous forests of Southwestern China at elevations of 1,500–3,400 m (4,900–11,200 ft) above sea level. The Chinese name is Sichuan golden hair monkey (四川金丝猴). It is also widely referred to as the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey. Of the three species of snub-nosed monkeys in China, the golden snub-nosed monkey is the most widely distributed throughout China.
The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey or Dollman's snub-nosed monkey is a slender-bodied arboreal Old World monkey, endemic to northern Vietnam. It has black and white fur, a pink nose and lips, and blue patches around the eyes. It is found at elevations from 200 to 1,200 m on fragmentary patches of forest on craggy limestone areas. First described in 1912, the monkey was rediscovered in 1989 but is exceedingly rare. Out of the five snub-nosed monkey species in the world, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is the rarest. In 2008, fewer than 250 individuals were thought to exist, and the species was the subject of intense conservation effort. The main threats faced by these monkeys are habitat loss and hunting, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the species as "critically endangered".
Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary is a biosphere reserve in Myanmar, covering 814.99 km2 (314.67 sq mi). It ranges in elevation from 105–1,400 m (344–4,593 ft) encompassing the surroundings of Indawgyi Lake in Mohnyin Township, Kachin State. It was gazetted in 2004, is recognized as an Important Bird Area and as one of the ASEAN Heritage Parks. An area of 478.84 km2 (184.88 sq mi) comprising the lake and the surrounding lowland is a Ramsar site since February 2016.
One-male groups are a type of social organization where one male interacts with a group of females and their immature offspring. Offspring of both sexes are evicted from the group upon reaching puberty. It can be seen in many species of primates, including the gelada baboon, the patas monkey, savanna baboon, sun-tailed monkey, golden snub-nosed monkey, and the hamadryas baboon. There are costs and benefits for individuals living in one-male groups. As well, individuals within one-male groups can interact with each other just like individuals can interact with those from different one-male groups.
People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) is an international non-governmental organization that helps local people in developing countries protect their natural environment. Its headquarters are in the United States but its conservation fieldwork is carried out in a number of Southeast Asian countries. PRCF has joined collaborative research projects on new animal species in Southeast Asia, such as the Myanmar/Burmese snub-nosed monkey. The organization also sets up programs to help native cultures retain their cultural identity through projects such as basket and fabric weaving.
Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) is a Burmese non-governmental organisation established in the capital city Yangon. The society aims to conserve natural diversity and promote awareness. It remains the leading force in Burma for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
The Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve (GNNR) is a protected area comprising the Gaoligong Mountains and the nearby Nu Jiang Reserve in the western Yunnan Province of China, near the international border with Burma. It covers a vast stretch of the junction of Baoshan City, Tengchong, and Lushui County, towards the west side of Nu (Salween) River.
Prunus obtusata is a species of bird cherry native to Tibet, southern China and Taiwan, preferring to grow at 800–3600 m. It is a tree typically 6–20 m tall. Its flowers are borne on a raceme, with white petals. The fruit is black.
The Popa langur is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It occurs only in Myanmar and was named after Mount Popa, where a population of 100 of the monkeys live. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as the wild population is thought to comprise 200 to 250 mature individuals.
The Shan State langur is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It is found in eastern Myanmar and southwest China. It had been generally considered a subspecies or even a synonym of Phayre's leaf monkey until Roos, et al., elevated it to species status in 2020.
Presbytini is a tribe of Old World monkeys that includes all of the Asian colobine monkeys.
Imawbum National Park, also known as Emawbum National Park, is a national park in northern Myanmar. The park was designated in 2020, and covers an area of 149,103 acres (603.40 km2). It is located in eastern Kachin State, and on the east it adjoins the border with China.
