Moor Macaque (Macaca maura)

MORPHOLOGY: This species has cheek pouches to carry food in while it forages. The average body mass for an adult male moor macaque is between 9 and 10 kilograms, and for the female it is around 5 kilograms. This species has a relatively short tail. RANGE: The moor macaque is found on the islands of Sulawesi which is part of the country of Indonesia. This species is found in rainforests in its Northern limits and deciduous forests, grasslands, and scrublands in its Southern limits.

ECOLOGY:
The moor macaque is a frugivorous species, but will also consume leaves and arthropods. Group sizes range from 5 to 25 individuals. This is a diurnal species.

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

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR:
The moor 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 moor macaque when they are 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).

lipsmacking: This is when the lips are protruded, then smacked together repeatedly. For the moor macaque this display communicates aggression.

TACTILE COMMUNICATION:

REPRODUCTION:
The moor macaque gives birth to a single offspring. During estrus the perineum of the female swells and pinkens, and the buttocks and back of the thighs also swell up.

REFERENCES:
Burton, F. 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, J. G. 1988. Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press.

Last Updated: October 9, 2003.
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