Where does the crab-eating macaque live?
The crab-eating macaque is native to Southeast Asia, where it is the most widespread. As a species that lives alongside humans, it thrives near human settlements and in secondary forests. It has developed a variety of cultural perceptions, from being smart and adaptive, to being sacred, to even being a pest in some cases. In some tourist locations, it engages in robbing and bartering behaviour. It is also called the long-tailed macaque or the Java macaque, and its groups keep a hierarchy among the females.
What does the crab-eating macaque eat?
It is omnivorous and frugivorous. It lives in matrilineal groups ranging from 10 to 85 individuals: females stay in their natal group and males emigrate at puberty. It is the only Old World monkey known to use stone tools in its daily foraging.
Is the crab-eating macaque endangered?
Yes: it was listed as Endangered by the IUCN in 2022. It is the most traded primate species in the world. It is also called the cynomolgus monkey when used in animal testing. Its use in research is one reason it is traded so much.
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