Tonkean macaque
| Tonkean macaque | ||||||||||||
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Group of Tonkean macaques |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Macaca tonkeana | ||||||||||||
| Meyer , 1899 |
The Tonkean macaque ( Macaca tonkeana ) is a species of primate from the genus of macaques within the family of the vervet monkeys (Cercopithecidae). It is endemic to the island of Sulawesi (Celebes), which belongs to Indonesia .
features
Tonkean macaques reach a head body length of 58 to 68 (males) or 50 to 57 (females) centimeters, plus a 3 to 7 centimeter long tail. Their weight varies between 10 and 12 (males) or 8.6 to 10.4 (females) kilograms. The coat of the Tonkean macaque is dark gray or black in color, the rear part of the thighs and the buttocks are light gray. The elongated hair on the cheeks is light brown-gray to yellow-gray. The face, which is usually dark, can also be gray or whitish, especially the area around the eyes.
habitat
Tonkean macaques are native to the central part and the eastern Sulawesis peninsula, as well as the Togian Islands . They have the largest range of all six macaque species from Sulawesi. Their habitat are primary and secondary rainforests at heights of 400 to 1500 and mountain forests up to heights of 2500 meters. In the apes' range, 20 to 67 individuals live on an area of one square kilometer.
Way of life
These primates are diurnal and live both on the ground and in the trees. They form groups that, like most macaques, are made up of several males and females and their offspring. The groups number between 6 and 35 individuals, the average group size is 24 individuals. Within the groups there is a distinctive hierarchy for both females and males. Females usually stay in their birth group for their entire life, while males have to leave it when they reach sexual maturity. Each group inhabits a territory of 45 to 145 hectares. The borders often overlap with the borders of the territories of neighboring groups. Tool use has been observed in Tonkean macaques kept in zoos . They used twigs to get to food that was difficult to access and placed long branches at an angle on steep walls in order to climb them.
nutrition
The animals' diet consists mainly of ripe fruits (70 to 80%), but they also eat young leaves, fresh shoots (13 to 18%) and insects. In total, parts of more than 55 plant species are eaten. Figs and the fruits of breadfruit trees , screw trees and sugar palms , as well as of Pangium edule and Magnolia tsiampacca are important . Sometimes they also invade plantations and consume the crops, including bananas, papayas, corn, cocoa, sweet potatoes and various legumes. Foraging Tonkean macaques are often accompanied by the great- billed cuckoo ( Rhamphococcyx calyorhynchus ). The birds catch the insects that are scared off by the monkeys.
Reproduction
The reproduction of monkeys has mainly been studied through observation in zoological gardens. Females become sexually mature at four to five years of age. During their fertility, a rosy to red swelling usually develops on the buttocks, which persists for about 13 days. In young females it is limited to the zone between the anus and the base of the tail, but in older females it becomes increasingly larger and more noticeable. The monkeys get a single cub after an average gestation period of 173 days. In wild Tonkean macaques, there is usually a year between births.
Systematics
The Tonkean macaque was described by the German scientist Adolf Bernhard Meyer in 1899 . In the contact zones of the distribution areas it hybridizes with the Heck macaque ( M. hecki ), the black macaque ( M. maura ) and the gray-arm macaque ( M. ochreata ). However, the gene flow is low and limited to the immediate contact zone. The macaques east of the Bongka River and those on the Togian Islands have been described as a separate species from the Tonkean macaque ( Macaca togeanus ) due to a slightly different morphometry . However, DNA analyzes could not confirm the status of these macaques as an independent species.
Danger
Due to the increasing destruction of their habitat, the species is listed by the IUCN as endangered (Vulnerable). The total number of Tonkean macaques is estimated at 150,000 animals, making the Tonkean macaque the largest population of all macaque species in Sulawesi. It occurs in three protected areas with a total area of 544,000 hectares, including the Lore Lindu National Park .
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g Elizabeth L. Gadsby, Colin P. Groves, Aoife Healy, K. Praveen Karanth, Sanjay Molur, Tilo Nadler, Matthew C. Richardson, Erin P. Riley, Anthony B. Rylands, Lori K. Sheeran, Nelson Ting, Janette Wallis, Siân S. Waters & Danielle J. Whittaker: Family Cercopithecidae (Old World Monkeys). Pages 632–633 in Russell A. Mittermeier , Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson : Handbook of the Mammals of the World: - Volume 3. Primates. Lynx Editions, 2013 ISBN 978-8496553897
- ↑ Macaca tonkeana in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Supriatna, J. & Richardson, M. 2008. Accessed February 16 2017th
