Lion of Tree - Lion tailed macaque


Now, climb the trees, reach the top and see what they have?



Our next safari is on the top of the trees, to see "Lion of Tree - Lion tailed Macaque monkey".




Introduction Part

  • The Lion tailed macaque or the wanderoo, is an old world monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of the South India.


Physical Characteristics

  • The hair of the lion tailed macaque is black. Its outstanding characteristic is the silver-white mane which surrounds the head from the cheeks down to its chin, which gives this monkey its German name Bartaffe - "beard ape".
  • The hairless face is black in colour. With a head body length of 42 to 61 cm and a weight of 2 to 10 kg, it ranks among the smaller macaques.
  • The tail is medium in length, about 25 cm, and has a black tuft at the end, similar to a lion's tail.
  • The lion tailed macaque is a diurnal rainforest dweller.
  • It is a good climber and spends a majority of its life in the upper canopy of tropical moist evergreen forests.


Behaviour

  • Unlike other macaques, it avoids humans.
  • In group behaviour, it is much like other macaques; it lives in hierarchical groups of usually 10 to 20 animals, which consist of few males and many females.
  • It is a territorial animal, defending its area first with loud cries towards the invading troops.
  • If this proves to be fruitless, it brawls aggressively.


Diet and Food

  • Free-roaming members of this species are mostly frugivorous and folivorous creatures, meaning that they eat a lot of foliage and fruits.
  • Some prominent components of the lion-tailed macaque diet, apart from leaves and fruits, including tree bark, nuts, buds, roots, nestlings of birds, lizards, frogs, eggs and bugs.
  • They also occasionally dine on smaller mammals species.


Interaction of Lion-tailed Macaque with Human for food

  • In captive environments, these monkeys typically eat diets that consist of mealworms, grains, seeds, crickets, peanuts, fresh produce, hard boiled eggs, and monkey chow.   


 Reproduction

  • In the Lion tailed Macaque. females become adult at about 6 and 1/2 years of age and males later at about 8 years.
  • The menstrual cycle of the females is similar to that of human females.
  • The typical gestation period for these monkeys is roughly 165 days.

  • Breeding season for this primates lasts all year long.
  • Female lion-tailed macaques generally carry one youngster per gestational period. 



Endangered Status

  • Lion-tailed Macaques are an endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of Threatened species as at 2008.
  • As far as fully grown members of this species go, there are not even 2,500 of them in total.
  • Loss of habitat is a major cause for their decreasing population, largely due to coffee and tea plantations, timber growth and hunting activities.
  • These monkeys are frequently sought after for not only their flesh,  but also their fur. 




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