Cynomolus Macaque: Characteristics, Behavior And Habitat

The Cynomolus macaque ( Macaca fascicularis ) is one of the most popular primate species for tourists visiting countries such as Indonesia or Thailand. However, some of their behaviors are unknown to visitors to these exotic places. In this article, you will find out everything there is to know about this fascinating primate from the Cercopithecidae family.

Characteristics of the cinomolgo macaque

The cinomolgo macaque (also known as Buffon’s macaque or Java macaque ) has had a close relationship with humans. They were seen as a plague and, in other cases, were considered sacred animals in distant civilizations.

Unfortunately, these monkeys have often been used in the biomedical industry, participating in a truly exaggerated number of experiments. Without going further, keep in mind that the first cloning of a primate was recently carried out on this species.

This primate belongs to the group of macaques, all of them are Asian monkeys like the one that concerns us, with the exception of the Gibraltar macaque. They are medium-sized monkeys weighing around 10 kilograms, with brown fur and an elongated tail. In fact, they are also known as long-tailed macaques , as they can exceed 50 cm, which is almost larger than their body.

Behavior of the Cynomolus Macaque

The cinomolgo macaque lives in groups consisting of up to 2 females, with one or more males, who will leave the group during the puberty stage, while the females will always remain within this extended family.

One of their most curious behaviors is the use of hair and fibers as dental floss to clean their teeth. This behavior has a cultural transmission, as there are populations of macaques that use fibers from some trees, while others still use human hair.

Although the name derives from its taste for crabs, the truth is that their diet is very varied and includes numerous species of plants, fruits and roots. Crabs, hazelnuts or clams are sometimes difficult to open. So it’s not uncommon to see them use objects like rocks to do this.

Another behavior of the Cynomolus Macaque is the way it processes food. These animals clean the tubers they consume with water and even peel them before eating them.

In some studies, the great generosity of mothers has been shown  . They can even feed their offspring at the risk of starvation. While this is reasonable behavior, it does not occur in other species.

The habitat of the cinomolgo macaque

The Cynomolus macaque is distributed in several habitats of Southeast Asia. It lives mainly in tropical forests, but also in coastal mangroves which allow access to molluscs and crustaceans of which it is greedy.

Its habitat occupies regions such as Bangladesh or Malaysia and islands such as Sumatra, Java or Borneo. In these tourist areas it is very important  not to disturb these primates, as they become confident and can be dangerous, especially for the diseases they can transmit to humans.

The cinomolgo macaque is not in danger of extinction. Indeed, its populations are healthy and it has become an invasive species in multiple countries. It is considered one of the 100 most harmful invasive species , due to the consumption of birds’ eggs which are in danger of becoming extinct.