Did You Know? Thanks to the consistent efforts made by environmental conservationists in India, the lion-tailed macaque has been taken off from the list of the World's 25 Most Endangered Primates. This list is compiled by the Primate Specialist Group of the IUCN/Species Survival Commission, the International Primatological Society, Conservation International (CI), and the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation.

Information About Lion-tailed Macaques

Classification ✦ Kingdom: Animalia ✦ Phylum: Chordata ✦ Class: Mammalia ✦ Order: Primates ✦ Family: Cercopithecidae ✦ Genus: Macaca ✦ Scientific name: Macaca silenus Physical Characteristics ✦ Head and Body Length: 51-61 cm (males), 46 cm (females) ✦ Average Weight: 20-25 pounds (males), 15-18 pounds (females) ✦ Tail Length: 24-39 (males), 25-32 cm (females) Breeding and Lifespan ✦ Gestation Period: 6 months ✦ Age of Maturity: 7 years (males), 4 years (females) ✦ Lifespan: 20 years (In wild); Up to 30 years (In captivity)

Habitat

These Old World monkeys live in evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforests or monsoon forests (especially broadleaf trees) located in Western Ghats, India. They prefer to live on treetops, and may sometimes come down to the ground. They are mostly found at altitudes of 600-1000 m, but might sometimes be found at elevations as high as 1,500 m. They have adapted well to their habitat. Unfortunately, habitat fragmentation is causing their population to decline, as these monkeys don't inhabit plantations and don't travel through plantations or farmlands to move from one forest to another.

Diet

Lion-tailed macaques are omnivores. Though their diet mainly comprises leaves, pith, shoots, seeds, buds, flowers, mesocarp, and fruits, they can also consume insects, caterpillars, spiders, snails, bird eggs, nestlings, lizards, etc. In zoos, their diet consists of sunflower seeds, granary bread, peanuts, corn, fruits, vegetables, primate biscuits, and dietary supplement pellets. They have a simple stomach that is adapted to digest carbohydrates and simple sugars.

Interesting Facts About the Lion-tailed Macaque

✦ These Old World monkeys have a narrow septum, which is why their nostrils are close and point downwards. ✦ Like the other Old World monkeys, they have cheek pouches. When foraging for food, they stuff food in their cheek pouches, especially when they sense an impending threat. This allows them to run and climb the trees freely. Their cheek pouches open beside their lower teeth. These pouches are distensible, and extend down on the side of the neck. These monkeys can gather large amounts of food in these cheek pouches, as the storage capacity of these pouches is akin to that of their stomach. ✦ These monkeys are diurnal, which means that they are active during the daylight hours. ✦ The feet of these monkeys are plantigrade, which means that they walk on the whole foot, with the entire sole of the foot touching the ground, not just the toes. ✦ These Old World monkeys show their aggression by staring, baring their teeth, and bobbing their head. ✦ These Old World monkeys exhibit sexual dimorphism, which means that there are differences in the males and females. While males and females look similar, females are smaller and weigh less. Also, males have more prominent canines. ✦ The first digit on their hands and feet can be opposed. The opposable thumbs assist in various activities such as climbing, feeding, moving, grooming, etc. ✦ Macaca silenus is the only species in the Macaca genus that is endangered. ✦ Lion-tailed macaques are social animals. They live in groups of 10-20 individuals. The group includes monkeys belonging to both sexes and different age groups. A dominant male leads the group, protecting the offspring and other members. After maturity, young males join bachelor groups, while young females don't leave the troop and stay with their mother. ✦ The dominant male not only protects the group from predators, but also prevents the members from fighting. He makes use of different calls to communicate with the members of the troop. There are distinctive body movements that are used for communicating. ✦ Territorial in nature, these macaques defend the territory that they consider to be theirs. When the dominant male gives a loud call, a group will move away. ✦ Macaques give scream calls on being approached by other lion-tailed macaques who are not a part of the group. ✦ When females are ready to copulate, they emit courtship calls. They move away from the group to copulate. ✦ Occasionally, the female may give birth to twins. The average weight of a newborn is 450 g. The baby's coat is soft and black in color. Its face is pink. In a couple of months, the coat gets replaced. ✦ The mother carries the offspring around on her abdomen, weaning the offspring within a year. She cares for them. ✦ Lion-tailed macaques have a slow reproduction cycle and low birth rate, as the females give birth every 3 - 4 years. The species can live up to 20 years of age in the wild and about 30 years in captivity. ✦ Large-sized snakes, raptors, and carnivores are predators of lion-tailed macaques.