| Macaques |
| Why Sudy Macaques?? Genus Macaque consist of about 19 species, distributed mainly across a range of ecological habitats in Asia with only one species in northern Africa, representing the most socially divese of cercopithecine primates (Fa and Lindburg 1996). Comparative studies on evolution of primate social organization, communication and behavioural evolution , and adaptation would therefore most benifit from the studies of this Genus. Long term studies of Macaque in there natural habitat is rareand only captive group of some species has been studied in some detail.As most of these macaques are also threatened or endangered particularly in India, such knowledge is also essential for understanding social dynamics of the troops in relation with there ecology . this information can also be used in devicing appropriate conservation strategies for their management not ony in the wild but also in number of zoos which can now playing a much greator role in their conservation and rehabilitaion programme. |
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| Macaques: 1)sylenus-sylvanus sp. Lion-tailed m. Pig-tailed m. Barbary m. 8 Sulawesi sp. 2)sinica sp. gp. Toque m. Bonnet m. Assamensis m. Pere Davis'/ thibetana 3)fascicularis sp. gp. Crab-eating m. Rhesus m. Japanese m. Taiwan m. 4)arctoides sp. gp. Bear/Stump-tailed m. |
| Macaques are the Asian member of Family Cercopithecines of the Old World Monkeys. The only non-Asian member of this group is Barbary Ape. Barbary Ape is a macaque not ape, its lack of tail prompted people to call it ape. This macaque is a remenent of an earlier wide distribution of macaques from North Africa to Asia. Macaques are now classified into 19 species. A new species has been recently discovered from North eastern India (Arunachal Pradesh) , it has been named as Macaca munzala. But its proper nomenclature is pending. It will be the worlds' twenty first macaque. Most of them are rare or endangered and very less information is present about them. Just a look will reveal that many people who have neglected most of the macaques in lieu of some videspread macaques will fail to recognize most of the species. Lion-tailed Macaque is a beautiful macaque of South India threatened with only 3000 remainng in wild. There is no information on ecology and behaviour of Tibetan Macaque, Formosan Macaque and Lion-tails. A look at Rhesus Macaque reveals that this highly adaptable macaque outranges all other macaques put togather. It extend from Afghanistan-India in Western border to coastal Indo-China and China in East. The north south range is also greatest for all macaques i.e. 35-40 deg. N and upto 15 deg S. InIndia it occupy all habitats possible for any species : from mangroove swamps of Sundabans to upto 3000m above sea level hieght in Himalayas. Deseart and dry deciduous to wet deciduous and evergreen forests. It aso has made their groun in cities, villages, road side , fields, stations and every other place along with humans in most places. Japanese Macaque are one of the most studied Primate. An interesting observation by Nishida revealed existence of culture in these macaques and thus paved the way for exploration of theis in other macaques also. A young female 'Imo' started 'Potato weashing' which has spread far and wide among the group and nearby groups. Interestingly the same female pioneered paddy seperation from sand by throughing it into water and then collecting the floating paddy, this is also catching up though slowly, as throughing away food is something that does not go well with them. The first one to klearn this behaviou were her age mates juveniles etc. and adults after they have passed their learning age seldom learns a new trick. Ther are seven species of Macaque in island of Celebes in Indonesia which it self give a major evolutionary insight into posiible Macaque evolution. Most of these seven species are very marginally known. Except for M. nigra (Black Creste Macaque) not much information is present on other macaques. Most of them are under threat due to habitat destruction mainly, with increasing popullation of Indonesia. M. nigra though is not endangered and is protected but for how long remains a question and all other are certainly threatened. Assamese macaque,Pig-tailed and stump-tailed Macaque need further studies to know about their ecology and behaviour (a neglected field). Same holds for many subspecies of widespred Crab-eatin Macaque like the one in Nicobar Islands, which face huge risk from increasing population and man monkey conflict. Most of the macaques prefer human habitation and closeness to it for food availibility and adapt well to it, but this increase the human-macaque conflict for the food. And there are those who cannot adjust with humans pay the price when their habitat are destructed or fragments, like Lion-tailed and Stump-tailed macaques. |
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