MACAQUES IN INDONESIA

MACAQUES

Heck's macaque, found on Sulawesi

There are at least 11 species of macaques in Indonesia. Eight species live on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi or the islands around it. There is some debate though as to whether they are really different species.

Macaques are medium-size monkeys with stout bodies and strong limbs. There are 23 species in five families and 40 different subspecies. They range across from the Old World from the Atlantic to the Pacific, including Spain, Morocco, Afghanistan Sri Lanka, Tibet, and Japan, but are found mostly in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and India. Forests and mountains have been their traditional habitat but many now live in cities.

Aside from humans, macaques are the most widespread primate genus. By some estimates, in evolutionary terms, the primate line that produced humans separated from macaque line about 25 million years ago. "The macaque is one of the most successful and versatile of all primates,”David Attenborough wrote. “If you wanted to pick a monkey that was bright, adaptable, versatile, resilient, enterprising, tough and capable of surviving in extreme conditions and taking on all comers, the macaque would win hands down.” They do equally well in mountains. marshes, rain forests and cities.

Macaques constitute the genus (Macaca) of gregarious Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. Relatives of guenons, they are primarily frugivorous (preferring fruit), although their diet also includes seeds, leaves, flowers, and tree bark. Some species such as the long-tailed macaque, also called the crab-eating macaque, 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. [Source: Wikipedia]

Crab-Eating Macaques are mainly brown in color. Their scientific name is M. fascicularis (Raffles, 1821). There are ten subspecies. They are native to Southeastern Asia. They are 40–47 centimeters (16–19 inches) long, with a 50–60 centimeter (20–24 inch) tail. They live in the forest, intertidal marine, caves, inland wetlands, grassland, shrubland, and savanna and eat fruit, crabs, flowers, insects, leaves, fungi, grasses, and clay. They are endangered. Their numbers are unknown. Their population is declining. [Source: Wikipedia]

Pagai Island Macaque found on Pagai Island off Sumatra

Southern Pig-Tailed Macaques are mainly brown in color. Their scientific name is M. nemestrina (Linnaeus, 1766). They are native to Southeastern Asia. They are 46–57 centimeters (18–22 inches) long, with a 13–26 centimeter (5–10 inch) tail. They live in the forest and shrubland and eat fruit, insects, seeds, leaves, dirt, and fungus, as well as birds, termite eggs and larvae, and river crabs. They are endangered. Their numbers are unknown. Their population is declining.

Pagai Island Macaques are mainly brown in color. Their scientific name is M. pagensis (G. S. Miller, 1903). They are native to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia. They are 36–77 centimeters (14–30 inches) long, with a 9–20 centimeters (4–8 inch) tail. They live in the forest and eat fruit, leaves, grains, buds, seeds, flowers, and bark, as well as insects and small invertebrates. They are critically endangered. There are around 2,100–3,700 of them. Their population is declining.

Siberut Macaques live on Siberut island in Indonesia. Their scientific name is M. siberu (Fuentes, 1995). They 36–77 centimeters (14–30 inches) long, with about a 9–20 centimeter (4–8 in) tail. They reside in the forest and eat fruit, as well as mushrooms, leaves, crabs, crayfish, pith, sap, shoots and flowers. They are endangered, Their numbers are unknown. Their population is declining.

Pig-Tailed Macaques

Pig-tailed macaques are relatively large monkeys native to Southeast Asia. Males can measure up to 65 centimeters (two feet) from the buttocks to the top of the head and weigh up to 18 kilograms (40 pounds). When threatened they screech and bare their canines. The buttocks of females become swollen and red when they are receptive to mating.

Pig-tailed macaques are regarded as "clever, political animals" with "good mother-infant bonding and particularly strong peer interaction and play." Their thick fur protects them from bees and stinging ants. In some parts of Malaysia, pig-tailed macaques are used to pick coconuts.

Pigtail macaques are widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia and found in Assam and northeast India, Yunnan and souther China, Borneo, Kalimantan, Sumatra in Indonesia, eastern Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia and Bangka, and neighboring islands. Pigtail macaques have been introduced in Singapore and the Natuna Islands. [Source: Kayla Ayers and Candace Vanderpoel, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Pigtail macaques mainly live in tropical areas in rain forests and swamps from sea level to more than 2000 meters (feet). They prefer dense, humid rainforest with temperatures ranging from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius (64 to 86 Fahrenheit). They tend to live in places with a rainy season and slight temperatures variations according to the seasons and regions. Rainforests they inhabit get as much as 250 centimeters (8.2 feet) of rain each year.

Crab-Eating Macaques

Gorontalo macaque, found on Sulawesi

Crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are also called long-tailed macaques, cynomolgus or Java monkeys. Most don’t live by the sea, preferring trees instead . Those that do have access to the sea feed on crabs, other crustaceans and other animals exposed by low tide. They are usually unsuccessful in efforts to chase crabs but are able to catch them when the they wait at the crab’s hole and grab when it emerges to take a look. These monkeys have been observed getting pinched by a crab and frantically flapping their hands in the air. There are also inland A crab-eating macaque at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud, a Balinese town in Indonesia.

Crab-eating macaques are found in southeast Asia from Myanmar (Burma) to the Philippines and southward through southern Thailand, Cambodia, southern Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and as far east as the Timor Islands. They are regarded as the most arboreal (tree living) of all macaque species. You can find them in tropical areas and areas with an extended dry season in primary rainforests, scrub forests, disturbed and secondary forests, and riverine and coastal forests of nipa palm. One study of crab-eating macaque behavior reported that they never came to the ground except within five meters of the edge of a river near their tree. They also live in coastal areas, near brackish water and in mangroves and swamps, agricultural areas and areas near rivers. [Source: Christopher Bonadio, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Crab-eating macaques are "ecologically diverse." Among the habitats in which they have had the most success are disturbed habitats and on the periphery of forests. In Sumatra, they have achieved their highest population densities in mixed mangrove swamps, secondary hill forests, and riverine forests. Some were also observed in freshwater swamps, scrub grassland, lowland primary forests, and rubber groves. /=\

Macaques in Sulawesi

Macaques and tarsiers are the only non-human primates to inhabit the forests of Sulawesi. Sulawesi (Celebes) is a crab-shaped island in northern Indonesia fringed by coral refs and covered by mountains that are more deforested than those on Borneo. Covering 202,000 square kilometers) and situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago., it is one of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's 11th-largest island. Within Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra are more populous.

Booted Macaques are gray monkeys. Their scientific name is M. ochreata (Ogilby, 1841). They are native to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. They are 36–77 centimeters (14–30 inches) long, with a 1–15 centimeter (0–6 inch) tail. They live in the forest and savanna and eat fruit, leaves, grains, buds, seeds, flowers, and bark, as well as insects and small invertebrates. They are vulnerable. Their numbers are unknown. Their population is declining. [Source: Wikipedia]

Celebes Crested Macaques are mainly black. Their scientific name is M. nigra (Desmarest, 1822). They are native to the island of Sulawesi. They are 44–57 centimeters (17–22 inches) long, with a 2 centimeter (1 inch) tail. They live in the forest and eat fruit, as well as insects, shoots, leaves, and stems. They are critically endangered. Their numbers are unknown. Their population declining

Gorontalo Macaques are black and white in color. Their scientific name is M. nigrescens (Temminck, 1849). They are native to the island of Sulawesi. They are 36–77 centimeters (14–30 inches) long, with a 1–15 centimeter (0–6 inch) tail. They live in the forest and eat fruit, leaves, grains, buds, seeds, flowers, and bark, as well as insects and small invertebrates.They are vulnerable. Their numbers are unknown. Their population is declining.

Heck's Macaques are gray in color. Their scientific name is M. hecki (Matschie, 1901). They are native to the Island of Sulawesi. They are 36–77 centimeters (14–30 inches) long, with a 1–15 centimeters (0–6 inch) tail. They live in the forest and grassland and eat fruit, leaves, grains, buds, seeds, flowers, and bark, as well as insects and small invertebrates. They are vulnerable. There are estimated to be around 100,000 of them. Their population is declining.

Booted macaque, found on Sulawesi

Moor Macaques are gray monkeys. Their scientific name is M. maura (Schinz, 1825). They are native to the island of Sulawesi. They are 36–77 centimeters (14–30 inches) long, with a 1–15 centimeter (0–6 inch) tail. They live in the forest and grassland and eat fruit, leaves, grains, buds, seeds, flowers, and bark, as well as insects and small invertebrates. They are endangered. Their numbers are unknown. Their population is declining.

Muna-Buton Macaque live on Sulawesi. Their scientific name is M. brunnescens (Matschie, 1901). They are 36–77 centimeters (14–30 inches) long, with a 1–15 centimeter (0–6 inch) tail. They live in the forest and eat fruit, leaves, grains, buds, seeds, flowers, and bark, as well as insects and small invertebrates. They are vulnerable. Their numbers are unknown. Their population is declining.

Tonkean Macaques are of gray monkeys. Their scientific name is M. tonkeana (von Meyer, 1899). They are native to the island of Sulawesi. They are 36–77 centimeters (14–30 inches) long, with a 1–15 centimeter (0–6 inch) tail. They live in the forest and eat fruit, leaves, grains, buds, seeds, flowers, and bark, as well as insects and small invertebrates. They are vulnerable. Their numbers are unknown. Their population is declining.

Celebes Crested Macaque

Celebes crested macaques (Macaca nigra) are one of the eight species of macaque endemic to the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) in Indonesia. They are now restricted to northeast Sulawesi and the adjacent islands of Pulau Manadotua and Pulau Talise. They were once found on Pulai Lembeh but are no longer are. An introduced population of at least 100,000 individuals resides on Pulau Bacan, in the Maluku Islands.[Source: Rae Ellen Bichell, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Celebes crested macaques are popular zoo animals in part because they have interesting, human-like facial expressions. They are also known as black crested macaques, crested black macaques, Sulawesi black macaquse, Sulawesi macaques, and incorrectly as Celebes black apes. Among the species of macaques of Sulawesi, Celebes crested macaques are difficult to distinguish from Gorontalo macaques (Macaca nigrescens). Both have black skin and fur, but the upper half of the body of Celebes crested macaques is darker and more dull. Hybrids of Celebes crested macaques and Gorontalo macaques have been recorded. /=\

Celebes crested macaques are island endemic (live only on an island or set of islands). Their average lifespan in the wild is 18 years. They have lived up to 34 years on captivity and occupy in many protected areas including Gunung Lokon, Gunung Amban, Tangkoko Batuangus, Dua Saudara, and Batu Putih.

Celebes crested macaques live in tropical areas at elevations of 700 to 1100 meters (2297 to 3609 feet), most likely determined by fruit abundance. These areas have relatively constant temperatures, although there are fluctuations in rainfall between dry and wet seasons. These macaques prefer humid, tropical lowland and upland rainforests, but they are also known to frequent agricultural areas that have encroached on their habitat.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated December 2024