Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by UtherSRG (talk | contribs) at 15:36, 7 November 2005 ({{Wikispecies|Macaca nigra|Celebes Crested Macaque}}). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:Taxobox begin
Template:StatusEndangered Template:Taxobox image Template:Taxobox begin placement Template:Taxobox regnum entry Template:Taxobox phylum entry Template:Taxobox classis entry Template:Taxobox ordo entry Template:Taxobox familia entry Template:Taxobox genus entry Template:Taxobox species entry Template:Taxobox end placement Template:Taxobox section binomial parens Template:Taxobox end

The Celebes Crested Macaque (Macaca nigra), also known as Crested Black Macaque or the Black "Ape", is an Old World monkey that lives in the northeast of the Indonesian island Sulawesi (Celebes) as well as on smaller neighboring islands.

Their skin and hairless face is, with the exception of some white hair in the shoulder range, entirely jet black. The long muzzle with high cheeks and the long hair tuft, or crest, at the top side of the head are remarkable. The tail is only approximately 2 cm of stub. With a total body length of 45 to 60 cm and a weight of 7 to 10 kg, they are one of the smaller macaque species.

Celebes Crested Macaques are diurnal rain forest dwellers. They sleep and search for food in trees, but socialize and spend most of their time on the ground. They live in groups of 5 to 25 animals. Smaller groups have only a single male, while larger groups have up to four males. The females, however, always outnumber the males 4:1. Since young males must leave their birth group maturity, they sometimes form bachelor groups before they look for a connection to an existing mixed group. Communication consists of various sounds and gestures; such as the presentation of the long eyeteeth while grimacing a clear threatening gesture.

The Celebes Crested Macaque is frugivorous, with 70% of its diet consisting of fruits. They also consume leaves, buds, seeds, fungus, birds and bird eggs, insects (such as caterpillars), and the occasional small lizard or frog. The macaque is primarily terrestrial, spending more than 60% of its day on the ground foraging for food and socializing.

The Celebes Crested Macaque is promiscuous and both males and females mate multiple times with multiple partners. The receptivity of the females is clearly indicated by a tumescence (swelling) and redness which, in contrast to the black skin color, is particularly remarkable. The gestation time is 174 days, and the birth of the usually single offspring happens in the spring when food is more plentiful. Young animals are nursed approximately one year and become fully mature in 3 to 4 years, females somewhat sooner than males. Their life expectancy is estimated at approximately 20 years.

Celebes Crested Macaque are hunted sometimes both as pests, because they devastate crops and fields, and as bushmeat. Clearing the rain forests represents an additional problem. Their situation on the small neighbour islands of Sulawesi (for example, Bacan) is somewhat better, since these are hardly settled. The total population of the macaques on Sulawesi is estimated at 4,000-6,000, while a booming population of up to 100,000 monkeys are found on Bacan.

• Old World monkeys