The Tibetan Macaque is one of the most robust macaques. It also challenges the stereotype that primate males do not care for young: adult males in this species actively participate in raising them, which is uncommon in the genus.
It lives in the mountain forests of central and eastern China, where it endures cold winters thanks to a coat that thickens notably in that season.
Some of its populations are now the subject of carefully regulated observation tourism.
The Tibetan Macaque is one of the largest macaques. It has a robust body and dense dark brown fur, which becomes longer and thicker in winter. Its face is pink, darkening with age, and its tail is very short and barely visible. It differs from other sympatric Chinese macaques, such as the Assam Macaque, by its larger size and less hairy face.
Tracks with 5 toes on fore and hind feet, hind tracks 8-10 cm long, robust in appearance. Irregular droppings with abundant remains of seeds, leaves, and plant fibre, scattered under feeding trees and on trails in the mountainous areas the Tibetan Macaque frequents. Broken branches and bark stripped in search of insects are frequent tracks and signs of its presence, along with loud vocalisations among group members.
Temperate and subtropical mountain forest, from low-lying areas up to over 2000-3000 m altitude. Endemic to central and eastern China.
Omnivore: fruits, leaves, seeds, bark and insects, with the diet varying greatly with season and altitude.
The Tibetan Macaque is highly social, living in large groups with several males and females and a complex dominance hierarchy. Unlike most macaques, adult males usually participate actively in caring for the young.
The Tibetan Macaque has undergone a continuous decline in recent decades due to the loss and fragmentation of its mountain forests. However, relatively well-studied populations with regulated observation tourism persist in some reserves in eastern China.
Deforestation and fragmentation of mountain forest habitat, poaching for the trade in parts used in traditional medicine, and conflict with agriculture in forest edge areas.
Photographs by Mammaling users, published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial licence.
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