Old World Monkeys

All of the old world monkeys belong to the same family, the Cercopithecidae. Members share several skeletal features. The hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs. The tail when present is not prehensile. The nose and palate are narrow. Each of the molars has four cusps, which form two distinct ridges or lophs referred to s bilophodont. This makes the molars of the Cercopithecidae easy to distinguish from the simple molars of the Hominoidea.

Anatomical features divide the Cercopithecidae into two subfamilies. These features are releated to dietary adaptations. The Cercopithecinae have low-susp molars, eat mostly fruits, and have pouches in their cheeks to store food for short periods. The Cercopithecinae range in s

Crab-Eating Macaque

Description: The crab eating macaque, Macaca Fascicularis, along with five other species of macaques and several subspecies occur in Thailand. Although they are excellent swimmers and climbers they spend more time on the ground than other species of macaques. There are two main color phases, grayish-brown and reddish with a wide range of graduations. Forest populations are generally darker and brighter, whereas the shore dwelling populations are generally much lighter. The tail is cylindrical and muscular, covered in short hair. It has the longest tail of all the Thai macaques, usually averaging between 80-110% the length of the body and head.

Distribution: Indochina, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines and many small islands.

Habitat and Behavior: The classic habitat is the mangrove swamp although they are also found in primary and secondary forest as high as 2000 meters. They are able to adapt themselves to human presence, for example a large group lives on temple grounds in Lopburi where they are fed by local people.

Diet: Crab eating macaques have the habit of inserting their hand in small burrows or holes to find crabs or other animals. In the mangrove swamp they have learned to feed on crabs, crustaceans, shellfish and other small animals exposed by the low tide.

Reproduction: Dominant males copulate with high-ranking females throughout their estrous cycle. Mating lasts 12-20 minutes, after which partners remain attached and are often harassed by other members of the group. Estrus cycle is 30 days with gestation around 180 days. The life span is approximately 30 years.

Source "Mammals of Thailand" Lekagul B.; McNeely J.A. 1977 Association for the Conservation of Wildlife