Rhesus Macaque - description, habitat, lifestyle

The content of the article

1 Description
2 Behavior
3 Nutrition
4 Communication
5 Breeding
6 Relationship with people
7 Video: rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)

The rhesus macaque is one of the most well-known representatives among its relatives of macaques. The species is included in the family of monkeys. The habitat is the land of Asia - Central and Southeast, where you can often meet this animal. Usually catches the eye in countries such as India, Pakistan, as well as China (its southern regions), Thailand and Vietnam.

Compared with other representatives of the family of monkeys, this species is characterized by a wide geographic distribution. They can live in almost any conditions:

in the high mountains;
in arid deserts;
in impassable forests;
on open meadows;
in cities among a huge number of people.

An example of the last point is their habitat in the cities of India. Often you can meet them walking around the street and asking for some handout in the form of treats.Moreover, nobody offends them here, as animals are considered sacred.

Description

If you compare the rhesus monkey with other monkeys, then its size is within the average. The weight of male macaques can reach up to 8 kg with a maximum body length of 53 centimeters. The constitution of these monkeys can be called rather dense, which explains the large weight of the animal with a small body size.

The females, in turn, are stretched to 47 centimeters in length, and the weight can reach 5.3 kg. The muzzle is pale pink and has almost no hair. The tail of each macaque in length reaches up to 20-23 centimeters.

The color of the species may be different, but most often there are representatives whose hair is gray, less often brown. Very rarely there are green modulations in the color of females and males.

Animals have different limb sizes: hind ones slightly shorter than the front ones. Additionally, it is worth noting that this species loves water very much and very often it can be found bathing in a pond. Every member of the rhesus monkey is a great swimmer.

mandrill - description, habitat, lifestyle

Behavior

Macaques often occur in large flocks. In one flock there can be up to 20 individuals, sometimes even more. If we consider the distribution of males and females in a flock, then the first according to statistics is 4 times less than the second. It is also interesting that representatives of different sexes (both male and female) have their own hierarchy system.

For example, only a young female can occupy a higher place in the formed flock. And if a female mother attempts to take her place, then the female daughters have the right to unite and go to the counterattack. Interestingly, biologists have not seen such behavior among other species of the monkey family. Another feature of the rhesus monkey pack is the expulsion of a young male as soon as he reaches five years of age.

Nutrition

With regard to the process of feeding, the macaques can eat food both on the tree and on the earth's surface, without at all experiencing any inconvenience. Movement is carried out using four limbs.

Among the most beloved delicacies are fruits, berries, tree bark, buds and seeds.It is easy to guess that macaques like food of plant origin. Sometimes an animal exhibits wonders of wit and dexterity. An example is the extraction of water. If the source of water in the habitat of the flock is far away, then in order to get drunk, macaques begin to collect dew drops from the leaves of trees or shrubs. Sometimes they can use ripe fruit as a source of moisture.

In addition to plant food, macaques can eat and animal. Grasshoppers and other small insects act as food.

beloruky gibbon - description, habitat, lifestyle

Communication

Macaques communicate with each other using sound signals in the form of screams. The type of cry depends on the situation in which the animals are. If representatives of the species are sitting next to each other, then they can also use gestures and facial expressions for communication.

Breeding

When the female begins the mating season, she may, during this time, enter into contact with several males. Usually their number does not exceed four. Pregnancy lasts 164 days, after which the female gives birth to one young. During the year, the mother takes care of her baby and carries out the process of feeding him.

Young people can begin to continue the race, reaching the age of four years - it is at this point that they usually begin puberty. In general, the life span of rhesus monkeys ranges from 28 to 30 years.

Relationship with people

You can meet these animals in many zoos or vivariums. They do not require special care, and also allow you to quickly cope with their content, as they resemble a person according to their physiological needs.

Macaque is also used for research purposes, because they have anatomy similar to a person and almost the same course of similar processes in the body.

Recently, experiments have been carried out on macaques on the reaction of the animal organism to developed drugs capable of fighting AIDS. Not so long ago, thanks to the studies already conducted, it was possible to launch drugs against such diseases as rabies and smallpox. The animal brings a huge invaluable contribution to medicine, for which it deserves thanks and its own monument.

Another interesting fact of the interaction of monkeys and humans is the flight of the rhesus monkey into space.It happened in the middle of the XX century, and it is worth noting that the flight was successful.

But do not forget that animals can be carriers of dangerous diseases, and this type of monkey is no exception. In case of close contact with a sick monkey, a person can become infected with the herpes virus. The disease is quite serious, there have been cases of death. That is why when dealing with this type of macaque is to be careful.

Bonobo - description, habitat, lifestyle