Japanese
Macaque[1] |
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Scientific classification |
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Binomial name |
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Macaca fuscata |
The Japanese Macaque
(Macaca fuscata), also known as the Snow Monkey, is a terrestrial
Old World monkey species native to northern Japan, although an introduced
free-ranging population has been living near Laredo, Texas since 1972. It is
the most northern-living non-human primate. Individuals have brown-gray fur, a
red face, hands and bottom, and a short tail. There are two subspecies of this
macaque:[1]
The Japanese Macaque is diurnal
and spends most of its time in forests. It lives in a variety of forest-types,
including subtropical to subalpine, deciduous, broadleaf and evergreen forests,
below 1500 m. It feeds on seeds, roots, buds, fruit, invertebrates, berries,
leaves, birds eggs, fungi, bark and cereals. It has a body length ranging from
79 to 95 cm, with a tail length of approximately 10 cm. Males weigh from 10 to
14 kg, females, around 5.5 kg.
The
Japanese Macaques at Jigokudani hotspring in Nagano have become famous for
their winter visits to the spa.
The Japanese Macaque is the
most northerly-living non-human primate, living in mountainous areas of Honshū,
Japan. It survives winter temperatures below -15 °C (5° F), and is perhaps most
famous for the amount of time it spends relaxing in naturally heated volcanic hot
springs.
The Japanese Macaque lives
in troops 20-100 individuals in size usually subdivided into matrilineal groups
consisting of many females and several males. On average, females outnumber
males by 3 to 1. The females have a rigid hierarchy with infants inheriting
their mother's rank. The males tend to be transient within the troop.
Females will copulate with
an average of ten males during the mating season, though only about one third
of the mountings will lead to ejaculation. Though pregnancies only occur during
the mating season, heterosexual relations go on year-round. After a gestation
period of 173 days, females bear only one baby, which weighs about 500 g at
birth. This macaque has an average lifespan of 30 years.
Same-sex relations are
frequent, rates however vary between troops. Females will form consortships
characterized by affectionate, social and sexual activities. In some troops up
to one quarter of the females will form such bonds, which will vary in duration
from a few days to a few weeks. Often, strong and lasting friendships will
result from such pairings. Males also have same-sex relations, typically with
multiple partners of the same age. Affectionate and playful activities are
associated with such relations.[3]
The Japanese Macaque is
very smart. It is the only animal other than humans and raccoons that is known
to wash its food before eating it. Researchers studying this species left sweet
potatoes out on the beach for them to feed on, then witnessed one female taking
the food down to the sea to wash the sand off it. After a while, others started
to copy her behavior. This trait was then passed on from generation to
generation, until eventually, all except the very oldest members of the troop
were washing their food in the sea. A somewhat altered account of this incident
was the basis for the "Hundredth Monkey" meme.
Also in recent studies, it
has been found that the Japanese Macaque can develop different accents, like
humans. It was found that macaques in areas separated by only a couple hundred
miles can have very different pitches in their calls, their form of
communication. The Japanese Macaque has been involved in many studies
concerning neuroscience and also is used in drug testing. [1]
It is often the subject of Buddhist
myths, and is thought to be the inspiration behind the saying "see no
evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."
The Japanese Macaque is
classified as Data Deficient by the 2000 IUCN Red List.[2]
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_Macaque&action=history
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html