Formosan rock macaque

Last updated

Formosan rock macaque [1]
Chai Shan Mi Hou .jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Macaca
Species:
M. cyclopis
Binomial name
Macaca cyclopis
(Swinhoe, 1862)
Formosan Rock Macaque area.png
Formosan rock macaque range
(blue — native, red — introduced)

The Formosan rock macaque (Macaca cyclopis), also known as the Formosan rock monkey or Taiwanese macaque, is a macaque endemic to the island of Taiwan, which has also been introduced to Japan. Besides humans, Formosan rock macaques are the only native primates living in Taiwan. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1862.

Contents

Physical characteristics

Rock macaques measure 50–60 cm and weigh 5–12 kg, generally females are smaller. Their tails are moderately long and measure 26–45 cm. The Formosan rock macaque is brown or gray in color. Like all other macaques, it has specialized pouch-like cheeks, allowing it to temporarily hoard its food. The gathered morsels are eaten sometime later, in safe surroundings.

Life and behavior

Formosan rock macaques at Shoushan National Nature Park Formosan rock macaque in Chaishan, Kaohsiung.jpg
Formosan rock macaques at Shoushan National Nature Park

Among the 22 species of the genus Macaca that are found in southern and eastern Asia as well as northwestern Africa, the Formosan macaque is the only species endemic to the island of Taiwan.

Formosan rock macaques live in mixed coniferous-hardwood temperate forest, as well as bamboo and grassland at 100-3600m (328-11,812 ft). The social structure of macaques is generally characterized as often occurring as a large stable multimale-multifemale troop. [3] Formosan macaque is considered to be female-bonded which is similar to other species in the genus Macaca . Based on the study of Hsu and Lin, [3] the average overall sex ratio was approximately 1:1, and the average adult sex ratio was close to 0.53. Solitary adult males accounted for 5% of the entire population, and they were seen interacting with social troops especially during mating season. They communicate using visual signals and sounds. They will "scream" when non-group members come near them. Group members usually respond using a "kyaw-kyaw" sound.[ citation needed ]

Rock macaques are diurnal, arboreal, and terrestrial. They usually stay in trees and less so on the ground. They rest in forest and forage in grasslands. Their diet consists of fruits, tender leaves, buds, grass stems, insects, snails, and bird eggs.[ citation needed ]

Reproduction

The Formosan rock macaque gives birth to a single offspring. During estrus, the perineum of the female swells at the base of the tail, and there is also swelling along the thighs. Their mating season is from October to January. Gestation may last about five and a half months. Females give birth to babies between spring and summer. Females are entirely responsible for nursing. Youngsters are carried in mother's arms for 2–3 months. Not until one year old, will youngsters be fully separated from their parents carrying.

Conservation

Formosan rock macaques are hunted for the damage they do to crops. They are also hunted for the purpose of exports for medical experimental use. In Taiwan, there is a strong culture of feeding macaques (in parks, along roadsides), particularly on the west coast, which increases their interaction and incidents with humans. Recent efforts by the government have tried to stop this behaviour, with mixed results.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macaque</span> Genus of Old World monkeys

The macaques constitute a genus (Macaca) of gregarious Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. The 23 species of macaques inhabit ranges throughout Asia, North Africa, and Europe. Macaques are principally frugivorous, although their diet also includes seeds, leaves, flowers, and tree bark. Some species such as the long-tailed macaque will supplement their diets with small amounts of meat from shellfish, insects, and small mammals. On average, a southern pig-tailed macaque in Malaysia eats about 70 large rats each year. All macaque social groups are arranged around dominant matriarchs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crab-eating macaque</span> Species of monkey from Southeast Asia

The crab-eating macaque, also known as the long-tailed macaque and referred to as the cynomolgus monkey in laboratories, is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. A species of macaque, the crab-eating macaque has a long history alongside humans. The species has been variously seen as an agricultural pest, a sacred animal, and, more recently, the subject of medical experiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhesus macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The rhesus macaque, colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies that are split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally brown or grey in colour, it is 47–53 cm (19–21 in) in length with a 20.7–22.9 cm (8.1–9.0 in) tail and weighs 5.3–7.7 kg (12–17 lb). It is native to South, Central, and Southeast Asia and has the widest geographic range of all non-human primates, occupying a great diversity of altitudes and a great variety of habitats, from grasslands to arid and forested areas, but also close to human settlements. Feral colonies are found in the United States, thought to be either released by humans or escapees after hurricanes destroyed zoo and wildlife park facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbary macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The Barbary macaque, also known as Barbary ape, is a macaque species native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, along with a small introduced population in Gibraltar. It is the type species of the genus Macaca. The species is of particular interest because males play an atypical role in rearing young. Because of uncertain paternity, males are integral to raising all infants. Generally, Barbary macaques of both sexes and all ages contribute in alloparental care of young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese macaque</span> Only nonhuman primate in Japan

The Japanese macaque, also known as the snow monkey, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species that is native to Japan. 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 lives farther north, nor in a colder climate. Individuals have brownish grey fur, pinkish-red faces, and short tails. Two subspecies are known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moor macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The Moor macaque is a macaque monkey with brown/black body fur with a pale rump patch and pink bare skin on the rump. It has ischial callosities, which are oval-shaped. It is about 50–58.5 cm long, and eats figs, bamboo seeds, buds, sprouts, invertebrates and cereals in tropical rainforests. It is sometimes called "dog-ape" because of its dog-like muzzle, although it is no more closely related to apes than any other Old World monkey is. It is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, which is an important biodiversity hotspot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formosan clouded leopard</span> Clouded leopard subspecies that was endemic to Taiwan

The Formosan clouded leopard is a clouded leopard population that was endemic to Taiwan. Camera trapping studies carried out in several protected areas in Taiwan between 1997 and 2012 did not record any clouded leopard. The population is listed as extinct on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lion-tailed macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The lion-tailed macaque, also known as the wanderoo, is an Old World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celebes crested macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The Celebes crested macaque, also known as the crested black macaque, Sulawesi crested macaque, or the black ape, is an Old World monkey that lives in the Tangkoko reserve in the north-eastern tip of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (Celebes), as well as on smaller neighbouring islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toque macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The toque macaque is a reddish-brown-coloured Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is known as the rilewa or rilawa, . Its name refers to the whorl of hair at the crown of the head, reminiscent of a brimless toque cap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonnet macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The bonnet macaque, also known as zati, is a species of macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers, along with its related competitor the rhesus macaque in the north. Land use changes in the last few decades have resulted in changes in its distribution boundaries with the rhesus macaque, raising concern for its status in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stump-tailed macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The stump-tailed macaque, also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. In India, it occurs south of the Brahmaputra River, in the northeastern part of the country. Its range in India extends from Assam and Meghalaya to eastern Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern pig-tailed macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The northern pig-tailed macaque is a vulnerable species of macaque in the subfamily Cercopithecidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Traditionally, M. leonina was considered a subspecies of the southern pig-tailed macaque, but is now classified as an individual species. In the 21st century, the pig-tailed macaque was split into the northern pig-tailed macaque species Macaca leonina and the Sundaland pig-tailed macaque species M. nemestrina. This reclassification was aided by the observation of sexual swellings and basic attributes that distinguish the two. The northern pig-tailed macaque is frugivorous and their social grouping is matriarchal, where sexual dimorphic traits can distinguish males and females. Their adaptation to omnivorous diets occur in periods of fruit scarcity, munching on wild vegetation and crops, human foods, and small insects and mammals. Despite their adaptability, northern-pig tailed macaques experience viral threats such as the human immunodeficiency virus type 1, pathogenic simian immunodeficiency, and coronavirus. Human impacts are also present, such as agricultural expansions, aquaculture, transportation infrastructure, hunting and logging for meat and trophies, and the illegal pet trade; that result in habitat loss, forest fragmentation, and a reduced well-being.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonkean macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The Tonkean black macaque or Tonkean macaque is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It is endemic to central Sulawesi and the nearby Togian Islands in Indonesia. It is threatened by habitat loss. Widespread mining in central Sulawesi is believed to exacerbating the problems of habitat loss.

Hepatocystis is a genus of parasites transmitted by midges of the genus Culicoides. Hosts include Old World primates, bats, hippopotamus and squirrels. This genus is not found in the New World. The genus was erected by Levaditi and Schoen, 1932, as Hepatocystes.

Hepatocystis taiwanensis is a species of parasitic protozoa. They are transmitted by flies of the genus Culicoides and infect monkeys.

Prunus phaeosticta, the dark-spotted cherry, is a species of Prunus native to China, including Taiwan, and southeast Asia, including far eastern India, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It goes by a number of different names in Chinese, including 黑星櫻, black star cherry, 墨點櫻桃 and 墨点樱桃, ink point cherry, and 腺葉桂櫻, gland leaf cherry. It gets its specific epithet and its common names from the small dark spots (glands) on the undersides of its leaves. Formosan rock macaques eat the fruit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formosan ferret-badger</span> Species of mammal

The Formosan ferret-badger is a mustelid species endemic to Taiwan.

<i>Oreocnide pedunculata</i> Species of plant

Oreocnide pedunculata, the purple woodnettle or longpedicel woodnettle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Urticaceae, native to south-central and southern Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, and Taiwan. A shrub or small tree 2 to 5 m tall, it is found growing in valleys and forest edges at elevations from 100 to 1,200 m. Its leaves are an important food item for Formosan rock macaques and Japanese macaques.

References

  1. Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 161. ISBN   0-801-88221-4. OCLC   62265494.
  2. Wu, H.Y.; Yongcheng, L. (2020). "Macaca cyclopis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T12550A17949875. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T12550A17949875.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 Hsu, Minna J.; Lin, Jin-Fu (2001). "Troop size and structure in free-ranging Formosan Macaques (Macaca cyclopis) at Mt. Longevity, Taiwan" (PDF). Zoological Studies. 40 (1): 49–60. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-09-13.