The Crab-eating Macaque
There are variety of primates that is breed and kept in Wildlife Fauna Janda Baik. Here is only some of them.
The Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) is a primarily
arboreal macaque native to Southeast Asia. It is also called the Cynomolgus
Monkey and the Long-tailed Macaque.
Macaca fascicularis has been used extensively in medical experiments, in
particular those connected with neuroscience. It has also been identified as a
possible vector for Ebola virus, monkeypox and is a known carrier of B-virus (Herpesvirus
simiae).
Being "ecologically diverse", the Crab-eating Macaque is found in a wide variety
of habitats, including primary lowland rainforests, disturbed and secondary
rainforests, and riverine and coastal forests of nipa palm and mangrove. They
also easily adjust to human settlements and are considered sacred at some Hindu
temples and on some small islands, while a pest when around farms and villages.
Typically it prefers disturbed habitats and forest periphery. The native range
of this species includes most of mainland Southeast Asia, including the Malay
Archipelago islands of Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, the islands of the
Philippines, and the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
Macaca fascicularis is an introduced alien species in several locations,
including Hong Kong, western New Guinea, Anggaur Island in Palau, and Mauritius.
Where they are non-native species -- particularly on island ecosystems whose
species often evolved in isolation from large predators -- M. fascicularis is a
documented threat to many native species. This fact has led the World
Conservation Union (IUCN) to list M. fascicularis as one of the "100 Worst Alien
Invasive Species".[2] Insofar as they are present as an alien invasive on
several islands, they have been labelled a "weed" species and are yet another
significant ecological threat to those ecosystems and the species within them.
It is important to note, however, that M. fascicularis is not a biodiversity
threat in their native range, as other species therein have adapted to their
presence through evolutionary time.
Macaca fascicularis is one of the types of monkeys that have been used as space
testflight animals.
Results of a research shows that male Crab-eating Macaques will groom females in
order to get sex. The study found that a female has a greater likelihood to
engage in sexual activity with a male if he had recently groomed her, compared
to males who had not groomed her.[3]
Contents
Diet
Although this species is often referred to as the Crab-eating Macaque, this name
is something of a misnomer since its diet is by no means limited to crabs. Other
food items are in fact far more common. They are an opportunistic omnivore,
meaning they can and will eat a wide variety of animals, plants, and other
materials. Although fruits and seeds make up 60 - 90% of the dietary intake, it
also eats leaves, flowers, roots and bark. It also preys on vertebrates
(including bird chicks and nesting female birds, lizards, frogs, fishes, et
al.), invertebrates, and bird eggs. Although it is ecologically well-adapted in
its native range and poses no particular threat to the overall populations of
prey species, in areas where the Crab-eating Macaque is non-native it can pose a
substantial threat to biodiversity.
The Crab-eating Macaque is sometimes known as a "crop-raider", feeding in
cultivated fields on such items as young dry rice, cassava leaves, rubber fruit,
taro plants, coconuts, mangos, and other crops, thus often causing significant
losses to the cash incomes of local farmers. It also takes food from graveyards,
garbage cans, and garbage pits. The species is often unafraid of humans, and is
found in many cities and villages. It has been involved in aggressive
interactions with people.
Description
Macaca fascicularis is a very social animal that lives in groups anywhere from
5-60+ animals. These groups are multi-male groups, normally containing 2-5 males
and 2-3 times as many females. The number of immature is usually comparative to
the number of females. Their group size often depends on the level of predation
and availability of food. Their groups are female-centred, as the females are
philopatric (i.e. remain in one place across generations) and the males move in
and out of these female-based groups. Males generally first emigrate from their
natal group at the age of 4-6. They will remain in a group up to four or five
years and thus will emigrate several times throughout their life. These monkeys
are highly despotic and have a strict dominance hierarchy. Adult males rank
higher than females. Female ranks are more stable than males, as males from
time-to-time will be defeated and lose rank. High-ranked males generally are
more successful at reproduction and high-ranked females generally fare better at
raising surviving offspring. The females are organized into matrilines, which
are the female-based families consisting of the resident females and their
offspring. Matrilines are ranked and some families have greater social power
than others and this difference in rank is maintained over several generations.
Matrilineal overthrows rarely occur and when they do they have severe
consequences to the reproductive success of the defeated matriline in the
following year.
After a gestation period of 167-193 days, the female gives birth to one infant.
The infant's weight at birth is approximately 350 grams (12 oz). Infants are
born with black fur and this fur will begin to turn to a yellow-green,
grey-green, or reddish-brown shade (depending on the sub-species) after about
three months of age. It is suggested this natal coat indicates to others the
status of the infant and other group members treat infants with care and rush to
their defence when distressed. Newly immigrated males will sometimes commit
infanticide on infants not their own, and high-ranked females sometimes kidnap
the infants of lower-rank females. These kidnapping usually result in the
fatality of the infants, as the other female usually is not lactating. Young
juveniles stay with the mother and relatives mainly, and as male juveniles get
older they become more peripheral to the group. Here they play together forming
crucial bonds that may help them when the emigrate from their natal group. Males
that emigrate with a partner seems to be more successful than those that move
off alone. Young females on the other hand stay in the centre of the group and
become incorporated into the matriline they were born into.
Depending on sub-species, the body length of the adult monkey is 38-55
centimetres (15-22 in) with comparably short arms and legs. The tail is longer
than the body, typically 40-65 cm (16-26 in). Males are considerably larger than
females, weighing 5-9 kilograms (11-20 lb) compared to the 3-6 kg (7-13 lb) of
female individuals.
Scientific name
The scientific name of the Crab-eating Macaque is Macaca fascicularis. Macaca
comes from the Portuguese word macaco, which was picked up from makaku, a Fiot
(West African language) word (kaku means 'monkey' in Fiot). Fascicularis is
Latin for 'a small band'. Sir Thomas Raffles, who gave the animal its scientific
name in 1821, did not specify what he meant by the use of this word although it
is presumed it had something to do with his observation of the animal's colour.
The common name of this animal varies. It is commonly referred to as the
Long-tailed Macaque because the tail of this macaque is usually about the same
length as its body and because its long tail distinguishes it from most other
macaques. The species is also commonly known as the Crab-eating Macaque. Another
common name for M. fascicularis is the Cynomolgous Monkey, which literally means
"dog-milker" monkey, which is the name most commonly used for these animals in
laboratory settings. In Indonesia, M. fascicularis and other macaque species are
generically known as kera, possibly because of the high-pitched alarm calls they
give when in danger ("krra! krra!")
Conservation status
The Crab-eating Macaque has the third largest range of any primate species,
behind only humans and the Rhesus Macaque. Since the wild harvest of the species
for animal testing has been reduced by captive-breeding programs, the total
population of M. fascicularis is not under significant threat. The IUCN Red List
categorizes the species as "Lower Risk"; and CITES lists it as Appendix II ("not
necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in
order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival". The umbrosa
subspecies is argued to be of important biological significance. It has been
recommended as a candidate for protection in the Nicobar islands, where its
small, native population has been seriously fragmented (Umapathy et al., 2003).
One main conservation concern is that in areas where M. fascicularis is
non-native, their populations need to be monitored, managed, or eradicated where
they have a negative impact on native flora/fauna.
Subspecies
There is significant genetic diversity within the species and these differences
are classified into at least 10 subspecies:
Crab-eating Macaque, Macaca fascicularis fascicularis
Burmese Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis aurea
Nicobar Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis umbrosa
Dark-crowned Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis atriceps
Con Song Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis condorensis
Simeulue Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis fusca
Lasia Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis lasiae
Maratua Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis tua
Kemujan Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis karimondjawae
Philippine Long-tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis philippinensis