Order : PRIMATES
Family : Cercopithecidae
Species : Macaca arctoides

Head-body length : 48-63 cm
Weight : 8-12 kg

The Stump-tailed Macaque occurs in a variety of habitats on mainland Southeast Asia, including primary or secondary forest, degraded forest-edge and low scrub. It is restricted to hilly or montane areas, up to 2000 metres elevation.

It spends most of its time on the ground, but can climb trees when required. It is mainly a fruit eater, but it will also consume other parts of plants, such as seeds and buds, supplemented by small invertebrates, such as insects and more rarely small vertebrates.

Its body form is stocky and muscular, rather like the Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, but in contrast its tail is reduced to a short stump of just a few centimetres. Its fur is typically dark brown, but sometimes blackish. Adult males may have long, shaggy fur on the top and sides of the head. The skin on the face is devoid of fur and is reddish in colour. The fur of new-born infants is whitish.

Large troupes of this macaque comprising many tens of individuals may be encountered. Their temperament may be unpredictable : typically they will flee from confrontation with humans, but at other times may be emboldened and  aggressive.

The Stump-tailed Macaque occurs in hilly and mountainous areas of northern India (Assam), northern Burma, southern China, western and southern Thailand, northern Peninsular Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.


Fig 1 : Young adult with medium brown fur, and typical reddish face.

Fig 2 : Stocky adult with cheeks bulging with fruits gathered from the forest floor.

Fig 3 : An adult strides purposefully through habitat comprising a mosaic of young trees, and rough grassland.

All images from Virachey National Park, Cambodia, courtesy of Greg McCann.


Links :

HabitatID, Virachey National Park

References : M3, M5