About the stump-tailed macaque:
- The stump-tailed macaque, also called the bear macaque, is a species of Old-World monkey found in South Asia.
- Scientific Name: Macaca arctoides
- Habitat: They are found in tropical and subtropical evergreen forests.
- Distribution:
- They are native to Cambodia, southwest China, northeast India, Laos, Myanmar, northwest Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- In India, it is found south of the Brahmaputra River, in the northeastern part of the country.
- Its range in India extends from Assam and Meghalaya to eastern Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.
- Features:
- They have thick, long, dark brown fur covering their bodies and short tails, which measure between 3.2 and 69 mm.
- They have bright pink or red faces, which darken to brown or nearly black as they age and are exposed to sunlight.
- Males are larger than females, measuring 51.7-65cm long and weighing 9.7-10.2kg, while females measure 48.5-58.5cm and weigh 7.5-9.1kg.
- Males have elongated canine teeth compared to females, which are important for establishing dominance within social groups.
- They are known to eat fruits, leaves, seeds, insects, and small animals like frogs.
- Like all macaques, this species has cheek pouches to store food for short periods of time.
- They travel quadrupedally, usually on the ground, as they are not very agile in trees.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule II
