Assamese Macaque (Macaca assamensis)

MORPHOLOGY:
This species has cheek pouches to carry food in while it forages. The average body mass for an adult male assamese macaque is around 7 kilograms, and for the females it is around 5 kilograms. This species has a short tail, and there is no hair on the face. The pelage color ranges from dark to yellowish-brown.

RANGE:
The assamese macaque is found in the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. This species is found in various forest habitats throughout its range, from montane forests to semideciduous forests.

ECOLOGY:
The assamese macaque consumes fruits, leaves, insects, and small mammals; this species especially likes to eat immature leaves. Group sizes range from 10 to 50 individuals in the wild. This is a diurnal species.

LOCOMOTION:
The assamese macaque is a quadrupedal species (Fleagle, 1988).

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR:
The assamese macaque has a multimale-multifemale social system. Females remain in their natal group with the onset of maturity, but males will disperse shortly before adolescence. There is a hierarchical system amongst group members based upon the matriline.

VOCAL COMMUNICATION:
scream calls: This call is given by the assamese macaque when they approached by a non-group conspecific.

OLFACTORY COMMUNICATION:

VISUAL COMMUNICATION:
fear grimace: The lips are retracted so that the teeth are shown; the teeth are clenched together (Estes, 1991). This display functions as an appeasement signal to reduce aggression in aggressive encounters (Estes, 1991).

staring with open mouth: This is the stare accompanied by the mouth being open but the teeth are covered (Estes, 1991). This is a threat expression (Estes, 1991).

TACTILE COMMUNICATION:

REPRODUCTION:
The assamese macaque gives birth to a single offspring. During estrus the female’s sexual skin will become red.

REFERENCES:
Burton, Frances. 1995. The Multimedia Guide to the Non-human Primates. Prentice-Hall Canada Inc.

Estes, R.D. 1991. The Behavior Guide to African Mammals. University of California Press.

Fleagle, John G. 1988. Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press.

Last Updated: October 9, 2003.
[The Primata] [Primate Fact Sheets] [Subfamily Cercopithecinae] [Macaca Links]