Original and interesting photos of macaques (34 photos). Magot or Maghreb macaque - narrow-nosed tailless monkey: description, photos and videos Where do monkeys live

It is known from history that monkeys appeared in the Mesozoic era 200 million years ago. Over the years, these creatures have changed little. Monkeys are called primates, i.e. primary, main.

The brain of monkeys is slightly smaller than that of a human, but more developed than that of other animals. That's why these mammals are very smart.

The eyes are deep-set, bulging, the pupil is small. The mouth is large, bulging forward. Teeth are formed in 2 stages: in small individuals, milk teeth appear; in adulthood, milk teeth are replaced by permanent ones. The ears are large, protruding forward.

The limbs of the front paws of many species of monkeys are similar to those of humans. The first finger is opposed to the other four. There are nails on the tips of the fingers. The back is hunched.

Height depends on the breed of the mammal. It varies from 15 cm (dwarf) to 2.5 meters (Gorilla). The coat is thick and uneven. Color brown, black, gray, chestnut.

Types of tiny monkeys

It is considered the smallest representative of monkeys. The length of the marmoset is 11-15 cm, weight from 100 to 150 grams. It fits easily in the palm of your hand. Habitat: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. The fur is reddish in color and thick. Due to it, the animal seems 2 times larger. Lives in trees, is diurnal, very nimble and mobile. Marmosets are too clean and pay great attention to cleaning each other's fur. They feed on tree sap, insects, and fruits. The photo shows all the beauty of these small primates.

Tamarin.

The body length is 31 cm. The tail reaches a length of up to 44 cm. Weight is 300 grams. A characteristic feature of these monkeys is the presence of a beard and mustache. The color is brown, yellowish, brown with black splashes. They live in America and Colombia. They live in families in the treetops. They feed on insects, bird eggs, plants, and fruits.

Squirrel monkeys.

These primates live in South America in forests located near bodies of water. Body length 25−35 cm, weight 1 kg. The tail is long - 40 cm. The color is grayish-yellow. Very agile, can easily jump 5 meters. They are awake during the day and sleep at night. When in danger, they emit a piercing cry and freeze motionless in place. An inexperienced person will not be able to notice a squirrel monkey even “under his nose.” They feed on eggs and chicks, fruits, nuts, and shellfish.

Species of average monkeys

Capuchin.

They live in South America. Body length 50−70 cm. Weight 4−5 kg. These monkeys are too smart and very timid. On the treetops where they live, capuchins find food for themselves. They eat frogs, insects, and steal birds' eggs. Capuchins are easy to train, which is why they are popular with monkey lovers. They can live up to 50 years.

Howler monkey.

They live in Brazil, Central and South America. Maximum height 70 cm. Weight 5−8 kg. The tail is long and tenacious, reaching almost the length of the body - 60-70 cm. Every morning, like roosters, they make loud sounds to intimidate enemies. And also, these sounds attract females and show rivals that this is their territory. Howler monkeys feed on leaves, plants and fruits. They hunt birds, insects and even large snakes.

Spider monkey or spider monkey.

They live in Brazil, Mexico, South and Central America. Height is 40−60 cm. The length of the tail reaches a length of 90 cm. Weight is 5−10 kg. They are only awake during the day and sleep at night. Fleeing from a predator, he can spend a lot of time at the top of a tree. They feed on wild figs and plants. Individuals will not refuse delicious fruits. They live a maximum of 40 years.

Baboon.

Baboons live in Southern and Eastern Africa. Body length is 70−80 cm. Weight ranges from 30 to 45 kg. Color yellowish-brown. Baboons feed on plants, fruits, leaves, and bark. The best lunch for baboons are caught gazelles and antelopes. Babuns live in clans, which are always headed by leaders. If a baboon is hungry and there is a human house nearby, he will gladly climb into the building for food. They are very agile and, upon noticing an enemy, quickly climb a tree for cover. The lifespan of baboons is 40 years.

Colobus.

Thick-faced monkeys (colobus monkeys) live in the dense forests of Ethiopia, Senegal, Nigeria, and Guinea. These primates can rise to a height of up to 3 thousand meters. They rarely come down from trees and are nocturnal. The height of colobus monkeys is maximum 70 cm, weight - 12 kg. The tail serves as the fifth limb. The color is black and white, the back is reddish. In appearance, these primates are very beautiful and majestic. The peculiarity of monkeys is the absence of a thumb on their hands. Colobuses feed on tree leaves, bark, and fruits.

Langur.

Langurs belong to the monkey family. Height 75 cm, maximum weight 20 kg. Primates feed on fruits and vegetation. Langurs' jumps reach a length of ten meters. Habitat Thailand, Tibet, India. Langurs can live in areas where there is snow.

Toque.

Macaques live in forests, mountains, and even cities. The height of individuals is 40−70 cm, weight maximum 14 kg. Color brown, yellow, brown, black. Macaques adapt well to city life. Trainable. In the wild they live in flocks of 10 to 20 individuals. Each has its own function in the family. Individuals live in Nepal, Northern India, and China. They feed on small animals, leaves, and fruits.

Gibbon.

Gibbons live in Southeast Asia. The weight of primates is 6−9 kg, height 40−90 cm. Gibbons feed on juicy fruits, vegetation, eggs and chicks, and insects. Primates live in families: parents and cubs. When a young male grows up, he goes into the thicket of the forest to look for his chosen one. But there are also specimens that do not want to leave the family hearth. The parent has to kick out his child.

Great apes

Orangutan.

They live in Kalimantan and Sumatra. The height of large individuals reaches 130 cm, weight 90−120 kg. Orangutans live alone or in harems. One male can have several females, and other representatives of this breed do not have the right to enter the territory. If such a daredevil appears, then both males run to different trees and begin to shake them violently. This may continue for several hours until one of them is removed. Orangutans feed on bananas, plums, leaves and bark.

The gorilla is the largest of all monkey breeds. The primate's height reaches 2 meters and weight 280 kg. This species lives in Central Africa. Primates feed only on vegetation. They live in groups: 2 males, several females and cubs.

Gorillas have a terrifying appearance, but they themselves are friendly. If males sense danger, they begin to beat their chests with their hands and growl loudly. This is how they protect themselves from enemies. The lifespan of gorillas is 50 years.

There are many more subspecies of these mammals. All subspecies differ depending on their habitat, environmental conditions, weather conditions, and food preferences.

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Why are monkeys so good at climbing trees?

Most primates of the mammalian order, which includes prosimians and apes, including apes, are well adapted to climbing. In almost all species, the forelimbs are longer than the hind limbs. The reliability of the grip of a branch and other round objects is ensured by opposing the first finger to the rest. Powerful hind limbs with large feet help monkeys jump and maintain balance while walking. In some New World monkeys, the tail serves as a kind of fifth limb.

In order to move from tree to tree, primates do not need to go down to the ground. The long forelimbs of the gibbon with very long fingers make it difficult to move on the ground, but with their help this acrobat monkey quickly flies through the trees, intercepting branches with one hand or the other.

Why does a monkey need a tail?

Apes - gibbons, orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees - are tailless. In other monkeys, tail length usually correlates with body length, although some large species, such as mandrills, have a very short tail, resembling a stump.

In different species of monkeys, the tail can serve different functions: serve as a balance, a device for flight, or an additional hand. Slender-bodied monkeys, mangobeys and hussar monkeys, flying from tree to tree, use their hairy tail as a rudder or air brake, and on the ground it serves as a support. The lower surface of the tip of the tail of howler monkeys, koats and woolly monkeys is devoid of hair, but it has tactile ridges. The koata uses its tail so deftly that it can pick up a small nut with it, but at the same time this tail is able to withstand the weight of the monkey.

Are gorillas evil?

Many animals are stereotyped based on their appearance, but few are as unlucky in this regard as the gorilla. Long-term observations of this rapidly disappearing species of monkeys show that gorillas are not fierce animals at all, but peaceful vegetarians; They spend most of their time playing, resting and searching for food.

Despite its large size, impressive fangs and menacing roar, the male gorilla is more intimidating than attacking. In an excited state, he beats his chest, makes a number of different sounds, stuffs his mouth with leaves and branches and, rising to his full height, breaking young trees, goes on an attack, which almost always ends before he reaches the enemy. This behavior tends to scare away uninvited guests - be they gorillas, other large animals or humans.

Carnivorous monkeys

Although most monkeys primarily eat nuts, fruits and other plant foods, many also eat insects, eggs and small lizards. According to reports, African chimpanzees often eat baby antelopes, hogs, and colobus monkeys. In Tanzania's Gombe National Park, male chimpanzees hunt in groups and kill up to 60-70 animals every year.

Why do monkeys search and scratch each other?

Some primates spend several hours every day removing flakes of skin, insects, and other debris from each other's fur. This behavior, known as grooming, serves a social rather than a hygienic function. Among animals such as chimpanzees and baboons, which live in large groups, grooming helps strengthen friendly relationships; they often resort to it in order to appease a male who occupies a dominant position in the herd or is showing aggressiveness.

How do monkeys learn?

In the primate community, the basic unit, both in terms of learning and in other respects, is the mother and her young. Mothers feed their babies, keep them warm, protect them from danger and, at least initially, provide them with transportation. Baby monkeys very early begin to understand the signals that their mother gives with gestures and voice.

Under the supervision of their mother, they first move on low branches, gradually rising higher. When the babies are separated from their mother, some adult monkeys try different foods in front of them, showing them what they can eat and what they can’t. In lower apes, babies mature earlier than in apes, and therefore they have less time to learn. For example, koats spend only 6 months with their mother; orangutans are 3-4 years old, and chimpanzees are 5-6 years old.

Different primates live in different plant layers. Small leaf-eating monkeys stay in the upper part of the canopy; monkeys with a more varied diet, such as macaques and capuchins, occupy the space between the middle of the trees and the forest floor.

Naturally, not all monkeys are equally good at climbing trees. Small red gorilla feast on leaves and flowers in the treetops, and 30 m below an adult male gorilla can eat leaves and young shoots while standing on the ground. But female gorillas, which are smaller than males, and their babies climb trees in search of food, as well as to play and rest. Apes rarely sleep on the ground, except for large gorillas; other monkeys, even those that spend most of the day on the ground, never do this.

Koats cling to branches not only with their hands, but also with their feet and tail. They, like some other South American monkeys, have a bare area at the tip of their tail, which serves as an additional limb, covered with skin ridges, thanks to which they better feel the strength of their grip.

Gibbons are the smallest of the apes, jumping from tree to tree, grabbing branches with one hand or the other. They have long arms and a five-fingered hand adapted for grasping. They walk on the ground upright, with their arms stretched out in front of them or raised above their heads.

Monkeys, of which there are up to 20 species, are one of the most beautiful monkeys. The coloring of monkeys is varied; in addition, they often have special markings, such as a spot on the nose. Monkeys live in the forests of Africa, with different species occupying different layers. Thus, dianas prefer the tops of trees, and hussar monkeys spend the daytime on the forest floor.

No animal attracts as much interest from people as monkeys. And all because they are our closest relatives, both physiologically and intellectually. Monkeys form a separate infraorder of Apes in the order of Primates. Among primitive animals, their close relatives are tarsiers, lemurs, tupai, lorises, and bats, and their distant relatives are insectivorous mammals. This relationship debunks one of the most persistent myths about monkeys as the most perfect creatures on the planet. In reality, they only have developed intelligence, which is due to the specifics of their environment, but the physiology of monkeys is at a rather primitive level.

The crested macaque, or crested baboon (Macaca nigra) is the first species of monkey to go down in human history as the author of selfies.

The body sizes of these animals vary over a very wide range: the smallest monkey - the pygmy marmoset - weighs only 100-150 g, and the largest are gorillas, whose weight can reach 140-200 kg. Male orangutans are almost not far behind them, whose weight in rare cases can reach up to 180 kg (their females are much smaller).

Pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea).

It is clear that such a difference in size could not but affect the appearance. If you look for common features in monkeys, they are united by a rounded skull containing a large brain; small size of fixed ears; brow ridges outlining the eye sockets; large eyes adapted to see in daylight; short mobile neck; muscular long limbs. It is characteristic that all monkeys have a clavicle - a bone that allows their forelimbs to move in different directions, in contrast to the paws of terrestrial quadrupeds, which can move mainly in the “back and forth” direction.

In the primitive broad-nosed monkeys of the New World, the facial part of the skull is relatively poorly developed, so their faces are flat. In the more advanced narrow-nosed monkeys of the Old World, the jaws protrude noticeably forward, for example, in baboons, which do not disdain hunting, this gives an almost canine appearance.

The male hamadryas (Papio hamadryas) yawns to show off his teeth to rivals. Such a grin is often used by baboons to bloodlessly strengthen discipline.

Broad-nosed and narrow-nosed monkeys are called not so much by the size of the nose, but by the direction of the nostrils: in the broad-nosed ones they are spaced apart, and in the narrow-nosed ones they are directed forward. Male proboscis monkeys have a cucumber-like nose - it acts as a resonator, while females of this species have short and upturned noses.

Male proboscis whale, or kahau (Nasalis larvatus).

Rhinopithecus have very short noses with nostrils directed almost upward.

Male black rhinopithecus (Rhinopithecus bieti).

Compared to other animals, monkeys have well-developed facial muscles, since their grimaces perform a communicative function. The vision of these primates is binocular and color, which allows them to quickly determine the distance to objects and accurately identify them. Such vision is vital for the inhabitants of high crowns, who feed on a variety of fruits, leaves, and sometimes small animals.

The monkeys' front paws are five-fingered, with the first (thumb) finger extended, which allows them to grasp tree branches and manipulate objects. To obtain food, monkeys use tools, such as stones, twigs, rolled leaves, with which they break nuts, pull out ants, scoop up water, etc.

The brown capuchin or fawn (Cebus apella) uses a heavy stone to crush the shell of a hard nut.

However, in some tree monkeys the first finger can be reduced, in which case the paw is used as a hook, that is, the animal hangs on a branch, holding on to it with all four fingers. The hind legs of monkeys also have an extended toe: on the one hand, this allows them to hold on to branches more effectively, and on the other hand, it does not in the least interfere with walking and running on the ground. By the way, monkeys move by resting on the entire surface of their palms and soles, and only great apes (orangutans, gorillas, gibbons, chimpanzees) bend their fingers on their palms when walking, resting on their backs.

Monkeys' fingers end in nails; in small tree monkeys they sometimes have a vaulted shape, which makes them look like claws from the outside.

The tail is perhaps the most variable organ of monkeys. In great apes and magotes it is completely absent, in pig-tailed macaques it is short and does not play any role in movement, in other species it is long, but functions differently. For example, Old World monkeys use it as a balancer when jumping (and hussar monkeys also lean on it when standing), but among the broad-nosed monkeys there are many species with an extremely prehensile tail. Its lower surface is bare and has papillary lines similar to fingerprints, and the tail itself is very flexible and strong. All this allows its owner to wrap his tail around the branches, literally feeling their surface, and also hang on it. It is not for nothing that woolly, tawny and spider monkeys are sometimes called five-armed, implying that the tail replaces an additional limb for them. True, the smallest monkeys (marmosets, marmosets, tamarins) have a long tail that is not at all muscular; these species use it like squirrels, as a rudder when jumping.

A tawny monkey (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) with a baby moves along an air bridge between the trees.

Monkeys are characterized by thick hair without undercoat, but at the same time their palms, feet and partly their face are always bare. In some species, other parts of the body are naked: in geladas - the skin on the chest, in all baboons - ischial calluses, in uakari - the skull.

A baboon or yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) showing black calluses. In other species of baboons, these parts of the body are usually red.

The skin color of different species can be flesh-colored, bright red, blue, black, or even multi-colored, like the mandrill.

The unusual texture of the skin of the Nemean tonkotel (Pygathrix nemaeus) gives it a doll-like appearance.

The fur of monkeys is often colored black, brown, gray; a few species are characterized by variegated colors.

Nemean tonzoboli are also among the most brightly colored monkeys.

Many species have decorations in the form of elongated hair growing on the head, face, neck, shoulders and forming, respectively, lush hair, a beard and mustache, a “hood”, and a mane. Such decorations can be characteristic only of males (for example, the mane of baboons) or of both sexes (for example, the mustache of the imperial saguina).

Imperial saguins (Saguinus imperator).

In general, monkeys are characterized by sexual dimorphism, which boils down to brighter colors and larger sizes of males. However, it is expressed differently in different species. As a rule, the strongest differences between males and females can be observed in polygynous species with strict dominance of the leader (baboons, proboscis monkey), less clear - in herd monkeys with less aggressive males (gorillas, macaques), and very insignificant - in monkeys living in pairs , where the male and female equally care for the offspring (marmosets, marmosets, tamarins).

Family of Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana).

All monkeys are heat-loving animals that live in the equatorial, tropical and subtropical zones of Asia, Africa, South and Central America. In Europe, monkeys are known only in the extreme southwest of the continent - on the Cape of Gibraltar. The Magots live here, but they also came to Europe with the help of people from their historical homeland - North Africa. The other northernmost habitat of these primates is located on the Japanese Islands. Here, Japanese macaques managed to populate even islands with a temperate climate, where a lot of snow falls in winter. True, it is not their skin that helps them overcome the cold, but their intellect - these monkeys have learned to warm up in hot springs, where they spend almost the entire winter day.

Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), while warming up in the water, simultaneously go about their daily activities: eating, picking each other's fur. This group indulges in an afternoon nap.

The favorite habitats of monkeys are dense forests with many fruit trees. A few species have mastered dry woodlands (monkeys), savannas (baboons), and rocky slopes (magots, geladas).

A flock of langurs hides from the torrential torrents flowing down a rocky slope in the Thar Desert. Most monkeys do not like water and even swim only when absolutely necessary.

All monkeys are herbivorous to one degree or another. Some of them adhere to an exclusively vegetarian diet, eating tree fruits, leaves, young shoots, seeds; these species include orangutans, gorillas, and howler monkeys. Others replenish protein reserves in the body by periodically eating eggs and chicks, small lizards, and crabs. These species include macaques, marmosets, and marmosets. Finally, meat plays a significant role in the diet of baboons; sometimes these monkeys even catch such large animals as baby gazelles and small antelopes.

A baboon with a baby gazelle it killed.

The nature of the diet also affects the lifestyle. Herbivorous marmosets, marmosets and gibbons live in pairs or small families, including close relatives (older children, grandparents). These monkeys are very peaceful, do not like fights, and mark their territory either with urine (marmosets) or with special songs (gibbons).

The common-toed gibbon, or siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), performs its morning song. The pouch under the throat serves as a resonator for it, amplifying the sound.

Herbivorous orangutans living alone and gorillas with small harems are very calm. But these species can stand up for themselves on occasion. In gregarious species the level of aggression is higher. For example, howler monkeys defend their territory and mates with deafening screams, and the calls of these monkeys are the loudest sounds made by animals!

Black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) guard the boundaries of their territory.

Omnivorous monkeys and macaques are moderately pugnacious, and baboons are even more aggressive. Troops of these monkeys have a male leader to whom all the others obey. Young males can get along with him only under the condition of complete submission, otherwise they will have to learn the power of his bites the hard way. Females play the role of powerless concubines, the fate of each of them depends on the taste of the leader: the favorites receive maximum care and food, the rest are forced to be content with the leftovers from the table of the stronger and luckier ones. In chimpanzees, intra-pack aggression is relieved either by sexual contact or by organized war against another pack. In the latter case, the winners can taste the meat of the vanquished. By the way, chimpanzees are the only monkeys that hunt other monkeys. And we are talking not only about clan disagreements, but also about monkeys that regularly get in the teeth of their larger “brethren.”

Two male baboons got into a fight. The teenagers felt who would win, and immediately supported the strong one. Although their participation in combat is symbolic, such training will allow them to gain the necessary experience and confidence to aspire to leadership in the future.

Regardless of the level of relationships within the troop, communication between monkeys is accompanied by complex forms of behavior. These animals are not alien to such feelings as friendship, love, envy, resentment, rancor, cunning, anger, grief and empathy.

This female chacma, or bear baboon (Papio ursinus), died of a cub, but even after its death she continues to carry the baby’s body on her back until the corpse is completely decomposed.

In case of danger, their calls not only indicate an approaching threat, but accurately identify it: there are separate calls indicating a leopard, poisonous snakes, a python, a monkey-eating eagle, an armed and an unarmed person. Thus, monkeys speak primitive speech, which at least contains nouns. In captivity, monkeys cannot reproduce human speech due to differences in the structure of the vocal cords, but they are quite capable of mastering the language of gestures or signals.

Gorilla Koko, who speaks sign language, explained to her keepers that she wanted to have a baby. But since the scientists did not allow her to mate, their ward was allowed to adopt the kitten. Coco was very attached to her adopted baby and cried when she had to be separated from him.

Monkeys do not have a specific breeding season. Mating occurs all year round. The female usually gives birth to one baby, rarely - two (twins are more common in tamarins). The newborn is born sighted, covered with short hair, but helpless. At first he hangs on his mother’s stomach, and later moves onto her back. Childbirth occurs in a flock and attracts increased attention to the young mother, her social status increases for some time. Male marmosets and tamarins deliver births to females and even eat the placenta; subsequently, they take an active part in raising the offspring: they carry the baby on themselves, and give it to the mother only for feeding time. Males of other monkeys take care of the young, allowing babies and teenagers more than is allowed to ordinary members of the troop, but they do not show special attention to their own children. The childhood of monkeys is relatively long, which is due to complex forms of behavior - in order to gain the necessary experience, babies will have to watch adults for a long time and play with each other.

Baby gorillas and chimpanzees explore the world around them together. Although such a meeting is impossible in nature, in captivity the kids quickly found a common language.

Large apes have no natural enemies; only chimpanzees, as mentioned above, can die from the paws and stones of a neighboring flock. The situation is different for medium and small monkeys. Their enemies are primarily wild cats (leopard, jaguar, less often lion or tiger), all kinds of snakes, especially pythons and boa constrictors. At a watering hole, they can fall into the mouth of a crocodile. In South America and on the islands of the Philippine archipelago, monkey-eating eagles hunt monkeys. Their name eloquently makes it clear that they have achieved perfection in the business of catching primates. However, danger from the air can lurk for monkeys in other parts of the world, where they can be attacked by kites, hawks and crowned eagles.

A crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) caught a monkey.

Monkeys are susceptible to human infections such as tonsillitis, flu, tuberculosis, herpes, hepatitis, rabies, measles, so in areas of mass tourism they are protected from contact with outsiders.

This baby gorilla was rescued from the hands of animal traffickers in the Congo. While the orphan gets used to his new home, workers at the rehabilitation center wear masks so as not to infect the baby with human infections.

But the human impact on these animals is not limited to just passive transmission of infections. For a long time, people have been hunting monkeys: the natives ate their meat, more developed peoples simply destroyed them as agricultural pests that raided fields and plantations, white colonialists killed the gverets for their beautiful fur, the paws of gorillas were used to make souvenirs. Finally, with the advent of fashion for “love of animals,” many species of monkeys became desirable pets. Thousands of poachers around the world began to satisfy this demand, catching monkeys in the wild for resale. As a result, many species of monkeys are on the verge of extinction and are listed in the International Red Book.

Meetings on the roads, or 7875 km from Moscow

This was my first meeting on the road, i.e. a freeway with a jungle on one side and a university on the other. This is probably where the phrase “wilds of science” came from.

“Wilds of Science”: behind the back is the word Sains, translated from Malay - this is Sciences, i.e. exact sciences, there is a jungle ahead, there is eternal movement between them.

More precisely, on the right in the picture you can see one of the entrances to the university, whose name in Malay is Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Sorry, but the entrance itself, as well as our Kampus USM, where at a constant air temperature of +35 C, spectra are taken at 10 K, remained behind the scenes even further to the right. (I will try to leave the exact sciences behind the scenes). And in the center sits a monkey, which labor did not manage to finally transform into a person, fortunately for it. No photoshop here. It’s just that other primates have already crossed the intersection separating the new university from the old jungle at the traffic light, and a red light flashed in front of the lonely thinker.

Crossing at a traffic light.

And from the height of its position, the macaque watches the bustle, which is called traffic and means the end of the working day for a person. Or maybe the monkey is so used to the university that he is in no hurry to go home? More precisely, to what is left of her home - to the tropical jungles of Malaysia.

And the one who returned home, his thoughts are at the university.

Where is better?

Where we are not.

All in the past.

There is about 100 m between the first and second images. There are approximately 5 million years between the lifestyle of the first and second monkey. Of the primates, these monkeys are considered the most common after humans and are called macaques (lat. Macaca). Wild macaques live only in Asia, from Afghanistan to Japan, but they especially love tropical jungles. Although, they also enter stone ones built on the site of tropical ones.

Concrete jungle. Georgetown. View from the 13 km Penang Bridge

Tropical jungle. View from the Genting Skyway cabin, altitude 1,800 m. By the way, parrots fly into the open windows of the TV cabins in the morning.

The mountains of Malaysia are still covered with a curly blanket of tropical jungle. But 60% of them have already been cut down. A man with a saw makes room for himself. As you remember, Homo sapiens (lat. Homo sapiens) is a species of people, part of the primate order, which is distinguished by a significant degree of development of material culture (including the manufacture and use of tools), as well as the ability to articulate speech and abstract thinking. Don't be offended, this is what Wikipedia writes about us. And a reasonable person always needs to produce something (at the same time harass), extract (more often take away), sell (but not give away).

But, back to the jungles of Malaysia. According to Wikipedia, on one hectare of tropical jungle you can find 240 different species of trees. Unfortunately for them. At first, trees were cut down to clear space for Hevea plantations, which enriched the British, because... Expensive natural rubber was obtained from Hevea juice. Now Hevea has been replaced by oil palms, because... the price of women's cosmetics is much higher than the cost of car tires. But the monkey family, the second family of the primate order after Homo sapiens, needs neither one nor the other.

What does a monkey want?

So that a reasonable person does not destroy her native home - the tropical jungle. And also, so that he does not accuse her of parasitism just because the monkey wants to live in his own way, and not work for the benefit of all progressive humanity.

Fortunately, approximately 8,500 species of plants remain in the jungles of peninsular Malaysia, providing natural food for both monkeys and other animals. And in the island part of Malaysia there are twice as many plants and animals. It's a pity that I'm not a biologist. And it is as difficult to penetrate deep into the jungle as, for example, into the foundations of quantum statistics. The expression "dark forest" is appropriate in both cases. A man is not an eagle, he can only rise above the jungle in a TV booth and judge them down, much like doing science while surfing the Internet.

The tropical jungle is impenetrable, it is a continuous mass of greenery. All the trees grow close to each other. But they live together, according to the laws of flora, and not of human society. Under the crowns of trees 40 m high, trees grow 30 m high, and below it -20 m, and so on down to the bushes, under which just as many layers of aquatic plants grow in streams.

And some of the inhabitants of the tropical jungle can be seen on the border with the stone ones. More precisely, seen from the road passing between the jungle and the university.

Monkey's house on the edge of the jungle. View from the sidewalk, which is fenced off from the jungle by a metal lattice, a concrete ditch filled with water, and a deep earthen ditch also filled with water. But for monkeys it’s all just a matter of jumping over

Sorry, I just noticed that there are also monkeys sitting on the tree on the right, although it is not a palm tree. I wonder who invented high-rise buildings: a man or a monkey? Only monkeys in the jungle don't have to pay humans for utilities.

Remember "The Monkey's House" by B. Zakhoder?

"To each his own.
Who has houses,
Who has houses?
I just don't have a home
At one Monkey's!"

Mocking poems. Fortunately, monkeys don't read our books. Instead of the Internet, they sit on green branches, and computer games are replaced by gymnastics, acrobatics, swimming, athletics and other outdoor sports. They don’t need gyms, just like titles, passports and apartments. It must be said that the macaque genus is an integral part of the Monkey family. It in turn consists of 21 species of monkeys. But in each of the monkey families, genera and species, the main meaning of life is in children.

Raising a child under the shade of palm branches is more fun. The modern Martyshkov family on their native tropical land.

Monkeys don't need walls, roofs or doors. Monkeys have lived this way for centuries and would like to continue to live this way. And Homo sapiens sits behind stone walls all year, dreaming of using the money he earns to sit under a palm tree while on vacation.

Macaques cannot stand loneliness; they live in groups, each of which has about 100 representatives of different social strata of monkey society. But everyone has “gloved hands.” The long fingers of the macaque are very reminiscent of lady fingers, covered in a black leather glove, through which perfectly manicured nails appear.

Wild macaques are elegant in their own way: black gloves, long tail and light fur.

I don’t know who gives the monkeys manicures, but the monkeys take care of their fur themselves.

I'm not from a hair salon, I'm from the jungle.

Monkeys are very clean, they love to take care of themselves and each other, even if they are representatives of different species.

Should I brush your back?

"He attached himself to the resting man and energetically cleaned his fur. from time to time encouraging himself with thin soft cries, and did his work with the same self-forgetfulness with which an elderly lonely woman sometimes sits knitting. With his long fingers, Gwenon smoothed and straightened the baboon's fur. At the same time, Gwenon did not look for fleas, which are generally rare in monkeys. Of course, if a flea is found during the search, it will be immediately eaten, but the main purpose of the search is the salt crystals that appear in the monkey's fur after its sweat evaporates. These salt crystals are considered a first-class delicacy among monkeys. The seeker is rewarded with a tasty delicacy, and the one from whom the salt is sought experiences a pleasant sweet sensation when soft, gentle fingers comb and smooth his fur."(J. Darrell, "The Crowded Ark")

In addition, the monkeys take a hot shower several times a day in the form of a tropical downpour, which occurs every day in the “dry season” and all day in the “wet season.” The tropics are +35C and 100% humidity every day. And monkeys quench their thirst very simply - they lick drops of rain or dew from their clean fur. But monkeys also like to swim in lakes and rivers, but not like turtles in the “breaststroke” style, but like children, “like a dog.”

The gastronomic tastes of the macaque are also quite refined and beautiful; she loves everything bright: the orange softness of the fruits of the oil palm (and this is a very expensive raw material for humans), bananas, oranges and mangoes.

All that's left of the mango is the seed...

By the way, the Monkey family is part of the order of primates, which is considered the most progressive order of mammals, including humans. The entire family of Monkeys is divided into 80 species, including: monkeys, macaques, baboons, baboons, etc. This, by the way, is the only modern family of “dog-headed” monkeys. So, it’s not for nothing that a dog is a man’s friend.

Modern representatives of “dog-headed” monkeys are smarter than dogs. The monkey misses the ball thrown by the man. An older comrade does not advise her to do this.

True, the word “comrade” in a troop of monkeys sounds as wild as, for example, “enlightened absolutism.” An absolute monarchy reigns in the monkey troop. And there is a strict social hierarchy, the lower ones unquestioningly obey the higher ones, or rather, those higher up on the palm tree. And the dull ones are warned. I was also warned to put my camera away.

Warning.

I don’t know who, how, and when chooses the leader, but in the pack he is the largest. He gets the first piece, and while the leader eats, others do not even have the right to look at the food. The Malays call the leader of a monkey group "boss".

The leader would like to have lunch.

The leader, who is also the boss, monitors safety and adherence to strict rules in the pack. He controls his subordinates with just one glance. True, this look makes the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

It seems that deep in the jungle, someone is upsetting the social hierarchy.

But the Leader not only has eyes, but also strong biceps, and his lip is cut with a battle scar. And when he thinks, the secretary stands on her hind legs.

Leader and secretary.

But power is retained by teeth. The leader loves to show them. Once I saw how the Leader dealt with a monkey from a neighboring troop that had wandered onto the grass of his territory. I was scared.

Head's Teeth.

But most of all, the Leader loves himself. Even the “First Lady of the Pack”, i.e. wife and child are in second place for the Leader. Until he is satisfied, they will not even get the gnawed bone from the mango. But every macaque dreams of becoming the wife of the leader.

Family portrait in the interior.

While watching a group of monkeys on a palm tree, I noticed that the leader had many assistants. One cannot cope with a hundred smart monkeys. The leader, usually, sits at the very top, to intimidate, periodically shakes the trunk of the palm tree and shouts in a rough voice, reminiscent of a dog barking. And his associates, occupying the lower branches, observe what is happening and transmit the message to the top.

Observer

This observer quickly noticed me and the camera aimed at him, he shouted something to the person sitting above and began to descend with the expression of a security guard on his face.

Security guard

I, as a reasonable person, decided to run away. There is more to the fact that I was more attracted to baby macaques rather than adult macaques.

In the lower strata of monkey society, relationships resemble those of humans.

The monkey with the child is tired and worried.

A monkey, not burdened with a family, is happy with itself.

But for some reason, monkeys don’t really like lonely and well-groomed people. And tired mothers and children are guarded by everyone in a flock. Natural selection, however. Macaque gives birth to one baby. For about a year he feeds on the milk of his mother, who carries him on her chest all the time, trying to be in the shade of dense branches. This makes it especially difficult to photograph an alert mother and her child.

Macaque with infant.

Mother and child

A year later, the baby monkey sits on its parents’ neck in the full sense of the word.

Family on a walk.

First steps. Slipped on the descent

At the age of 7, the son of the macaque becomes an adult, and the leader orders him to leave his native group. This is a wise decision: you won’t learn to live by sitting on your parents’ necks. And in modern China, on the mainland, a serious problem has arisen: 60% of adult children continue to sit on their parents’ necks. Who's smarter?

I'm already an adult.

And daughters can stay with their parents for a long time.

Mom does her hair better than anyone.

Tired of filming scenes from the life of wild monkeys, I lowered the camera and discovered two large black stones under a palm tree. Suddenly, they moved, turned around and turned out to be two boars.

Law of the jungle - wild boars are friends with monkeys..

I felt scared, I remembered the fangs and carcasses that my husband brought me from hunting in Algeria. But the macaques continued to sit next to the wild boars, as if nothing had happened. And at this time the wild boars ate the same berries as the monkeys. Probably, the ability to live together is the law of the real jungle. The wild boars noticed me and ran away.

And at this time a new Toyota stopped at the side of the road. The driver opened the trunk and took out a box of fruit. Father and son came to feed the animals.

Bananas from the store are also edible.

The monkeys descended, but did not come closer.

It’s better to wait, you never know what’s on a person’s mind....

Monkeys raised in the jungle do not trust humans. But they express distrust with dignity. If they don't like someone, they simply turn their back on him. A fashion model is a man, not a monkey. But in Buddhism, such behavior of monkeys is considered wise. In Japan, above the door of the UNESCO-protected Toshogu Shinto Shrine, there are sculptures of three wise monkeys “Mizaru, Kikazaru, Iwazaru” - “I see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing (bad).” Maybe that's why the Japanese work so well?

Three wise monkeys. Japanese figurine.

This behavior of the monkeys does not contradict the saying of Confucius: “Look not at what is wrong; Do not listen to what is wrong; Do not say what is wrong.” It's good that monkeys don't have television. True, in resort areas the monkeys behave like gypsies, but these are no longer wild monkeys.

And in the jungle, if a monkey sees a threat to its cub, its eyes flash with a bright yellow light, its mane rises, and the macaque becomes like a lion. The closest thing macaques will allow is a person in a car. Maybe the monkeys consider the car a metal cage and therefore are not afraid of passengers. The Malays know this and in the mornings, when going to work, they feed the monkeys as they go. Those who are poorer throw an apple or banana to the monkeys directly from their motorcycle. Those who are richer dump a box of fruit behind the barrier and leave so as not to spoil the monkeys’ appetite. Also, from a motorcycle on the move, the Malays throw bright pieces of papaya to the hornbills. The local population does not keep monkeys at home. After all, you can love from a distance without imposing your own rules: how to live, what to eat, what to do.

And the Malays also say that if monkeys used to live in these places, now they have the right to feel at home here, despite the fact that luxury villas have grown up in the place of the jungle. The owners of these villas come to the border of the jungle more often than others to feed the monkeys.

Breakfast on the grass

I was amazed with what dignity and how neatly the monkeys ate the bananas: they peeled them, broke them off in small pieces, none of the monkeys pushed, cursed or slurped. It's a pity that not all people descended from monkeys.

Father and son looked at the monkeys from the car window. I also decided not to disturb the monkeys and went home. In addition, the sun was hot, the camera batteries were running low, and the towel that I had to wipe my forehead with every minute became wet.

*************************************************************************************

Security guards met me in the parking lot of the house. Either out of duty or out of character, they always ask where I go and where I come from. Like: “Morning, miss, where is Mister? What happened, why are you alone? Where are you going?”

Pagi-i-i, Mister Security! I head to the nearby bakery.

Be careful. Keep your wallet tight.

In general, I respect the police, detectives and security. They saved us and our money more than once in Manila, Beijing, and South Korea. If nature created criminals, it must also create security. And in Malaysia the police are beautiful, especially the completely black and very long-legged Tamil girls. And our guards, who regularly put on a show, might want to show off their uniform, shoulders and shoulder straps. In return, I always give a couple of compliments to their motorcycles.

This time, when I got out of the car, covered in cameras, with a wet towel and completely exhausted, the guards seemed to think that I had fallen from the bridge into the river.

Morning, miss, where is mister? What happened, why are you alone? And where have you been?

Pagi-i-i, Mister Security! I was in the neighboring jungle. I photographed monkeys.

Ah-ah-ah, monkeys... - the guards smiled, coming out into the sun from under the air conditioner.

Be careful. “Hold your camera tight,” one of them added.

Like when meeting motorcyclists: not on your shoulder, but over your shoulder? - I clarified.

Monkeys love shiny toys that people twirl in their hands, the elder noted importantly.

And the monkey snatched the ice cream out of my daughter’s hands, took off the foil and climbed onto a palm tree with it,” the junior security officer added.

Do you like monkeys?

Yes, we love you, especially the little ones! - both guards smiled even wider.

Me too.

Selamat bergembira, miss! Have a good day!

Selamat bergembira, gentlemen security!

*************************************************************************

Finally I am at home. Air conditioning, shower, coffee, Google! What do they write about the monkeys I like?

I type the word "macaque". The following is displayed: "macaque price"; “I offer to buy baby apes,” and then a bunch of ads like: “I’ll buy... sell.. prices in Moscow.”

Lord, how many such advertisements! It would be better if Malay security blocked these Russian sites too. I go to Wikipedia, there are mainly habitats, nutrition and reproduction.

I switch to the English WIKI, there is more information there compared to Russian. It turns out that almost all (73-100%) of domestic and captured macaques are carriers of the herpes B virus, which is harmless to monkeys but deadly to humans. Now it’s clear why monkeys were never pets in Southeast Asia.

Unlike Russian, the English WIKI has a Human usage section. This is for those who have strong nerves: Apes are widely used as experimental animals. And it’s not just cosmetics that are tested on primates. Apes are often used in toxicological tests, to study AIDS and hepatitis, xenotransplantation, reproduction processes, as well as in neurological, psychological, and genetic studies. Monkeys have also been used to develop a polio vaccine and deep brain stimulation. Monkeys are usually caught in the wild, and in order to catch a baby monkey, you must first kill its mother. In the USA and China, most monkeys are bred. In Europe, imported monkeys are commonly used. In total, about 70,000 monkeys are used each year in the United States and the European Union. Most of them are macaques. (WIKI).

First, animals are infected with incurable human diseases, and then they are mutilated while testing new powerful drugs. Having completed the study, Homo sapiens kills the crippled monkeys in gas chambers. No predator could think of such atrocities. By the way, “people” in white coats and rubber gloves conducting experiments on animals become ruthless even towards their own newborn children. Such a “person” is incapable of loving children, people, or animals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:77-cm_primate_cage.jpg

Primates in a cage. In Europe and the USA, more than 65,000 primates are used as experimental animals every year

MONKEYS

Our ancestors, your ancestors
We were swinging on one branch,
And now they keep us in a cage...
Is this good, kids?

(Boris Zakhoder, "The Shaggy ABC")

On one branch

To be continued.

Malaysia.

April 2012

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Capuchins (Cebus spp.)

They belong to the Broad-nosed Monkeys. They live in a fairly large area of South America, from Honduras to southern Brazil.
Body length 32-57 cm, tail about the same length, grasping. The sizes of males and females are approximately the same. Powerful fangs in both males and females.
Mostly dark, with a different arrangement of light markings in different species. They feed on fruits, berries, young shoots, insects, bird eggs, and small vertebrates. They are well trained and often “play” in feature films.

Patas, red monkey (Erythrocebus patas)

They belong to the Broad-nosed monkeys, or monkeys of the New World, that is, Central and South America. They live in Brazil, Peru, Panama, Colombia.

Small monkeys, 25-35 cm long, tail longer than body. The weight of an adult male is 0.5-1.2 kg,

females 0.3-0.7 kg. They feed mainly on plant foods, fruits, nuts, berries, as well as insects and small animals.

Green monkey (vervet, grivet) (Chlorocebus spp.)

Widely distributed in African countries from the southern border of the Sahara to the south of the continent.

Small monkeys, 32-52 cm long, the tail is longer than the body (up to 1 meter). The weight of an adult male is 5 kg, females 3-3.5 kg. The face is dark, the fur is olive and greenish.

Blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis)

They live in Africa - in Ethiopia, Zaire, Angola and further south.

Small monkeys, 32-52 cm long, tail longer than body. The weight of an adult male is 4.5 kg, females 3-3.5 kg. The general tone of the coat is dove-gray, “blue”, with a black “cap” on the top of the head. They live in evergreen, moist forests with bamboo undergrowth.
They prefer the water to be close. They feed on fruits, cereals, berries, young shoots, branches (including bark), insects, bird eggs, and small vertebrates.

Mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona)

They live in Africa - in Ghana, Cameroon.

Small monkeys, body length 32-52 cm, tail longer than the body. The weight of an adult male is 4.5 kg, females 3-3.5 kg. They live in evergreen, moist mangrove (riverine) forests.

They feed on fruits, cereals, berries, young shoots, branches (including bark), insects, bird eggs, and small vertebrates.

Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas)

They live in Africa - Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan. They feed mainly on plant foods, rarely on insects. In search of food, they travel many kilometers during the day. In the evening they return to the “sleeping rocks” for the night.

Large monkeys, body length 85 cm, tail slightly smaller. The facial part of the head is characteristically elongated, for which baboons were called “dog-headed”.

The weight of an adult male is 20 kg or more, the weight of an adult female is 9-16 kg, sexual dimorphism in body size and color is strongly pronounced.

The coat of males is ash-gray; mature males grow a lush silvery mantle on the head, shoulders and back; females are brownish-gray, without a mantle. Tail with a tassel at the end. The face is light. Males have large fangs.

Social structure is characterized by 4 levels of organization. The largest level of organization is the herd, which is a collection of animals on sleeping rocks. The number of individuals in a herd can vary from 300 to 1000 animals. During the daytime, herds are divided into “bands” and clans, which in turn consist of single-male units or harems. Hamadryas baboons are characterized by patrilocality and a pronounced hierarchical relationship. To communicate, they use up to 40 sound signals, as well as expressive glances, facial grimaces and gestures.

Anubis baboon (Papio anubis)

They live over a vast area of Africa on both sides of the equator, much more widely than hamadryas. The largest of the Lower Apes: body length (without tail) reaches 1 meter. Tail 50-80 cm, with a tassel. The weight of an adult male is up to 35 kg, females are much smaller, 18-22 kg. The fur is dark brown, with a greenish tint. The mantle of males is dark, or may not be there at all. The face is dark.

Males have clearly visible large fangs, which are comparable to the fangs of a leopard.

Omnivores, in addition to plant foods, catch not only insects and small animals, but also hares, baby gazelles and even green monkeys.

Macaque macaque (Macaca sylvanus)

They live in northern Africa, and there is also a colony in Gibraltar. Magots are the only species of monkey found in Europe and the only species of macaque found in Africa.

Quite large monkeys. Body length 75 cm, no tail. The weight of an adult male is 6-8.5 kg, females 5-6 kg. The coat is reddish-olive, beige, sand-colored. They live in cedar, oak and mixed forests. They feed on plant foods and include insects and bird eggs in their diet. The food is seasonal - in winter, almost the entire diet consists of pine needles and cedar cones.

Pig-tailed macaque, or lapunder (Macaca nemestrina)

They live in Asia - in Indonesia, Sumatra, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), Kalimantan, and the Philippines.

Monkeys of large sizes. The body length is more than 65 cm, the tail is short, thin, sometimes curved with a hook - hence the name. The weight of an adult male is 6-15 kg, females 5-11 kg. The coat is light brown or gray, blue eyelids, light hair around the face. The length of the male's fang is about 12 mm.

They live in forests, feed on leaves, young shoots, plant buds, mushrooms, cereals, fruits, vegetables, insects and small animals. Produce up to 30 different sound signals.

Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)

Cynomolgus macaque or crabeater (Macaca fascicularis)

They live throughout almost all of Asia: Afghanistan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Laos. According to some reports, rhesus macaques are the second most common species of primate, after humans. Rhesus macaques live in close proximity to humans, willingly occupying territory developed by humans, including the outskirts of cities and villages.

Monkeys are medium-sized, body length 40-60 cm, short tail, about half the length of the body, quite fluffy.

The weight of an adult male is 6-14 kg, females 4-10 kg. The coat is gray with a reddish or yellowish tint, red on the back half of the body. The face is light. The length of the fang in the male is about 9 mm, in the female it is 6 mm. They feed mainly on plant foods - leaves, young shoots, cereals, fruits, vegetables; in their habitats, the rhesus diet includes about 92 species of plants. They readily eat worms and insects, and sometimes small animals. They are not afraid of water, they can swim.

They form quite large groups and are characterized by pronounced matrilocality, according to which female cubs remain in natal groups, and males usually leave them at puberty.

There is seasonality in breeding, with peak mating season and birth season varying depending on the area. After a pregnancy with an average duration of 166 days, one calf is born, the duration of milk feeding of which is at least 8-10 months.

Up to 40% of monkey research worldwide is conducted on rhesus monkeys.

Black or Celebes macaque (Macaca maura)