Tonkean macaque facts for kids
The Tonkean black macaque or Tonkean macaque (Macaca tonkeana) is a type of primate, which is a group of mammals that includes monkeys, apes, and humans. It belongs to the Cercopithecidae family, also known as Old World monkeys.
Quick facts for kids Tonkean black macaque |
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| Conservation status | |
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Macaca
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| Species: |
tonkeana
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| Tonkean macaque range (also found on the nearby Togian Islands, not marked on this map) |
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These macaques are found only in central Sulawesi and the nearby Togian Islands in Indonesia. This means they are endemic to these areas, living nowhere else in the world naturally. Sadly, their homes are shrinking because of habitat loss. This happens when forests are cut down or changed, often due to mining in central Sulawesi, which makes the problem even worse for these animals.
Tonkean macaques look a bit like apes. The males are usually a little bigger than the females. These monkeys are known for being quite peaceful within their groups. They work hard to keep things calm and solve problems without fighting. Even though they are peaceful, their family lines (called matrilines) are very strong and don't change much, even if they are more relaxed than other macaque species. However, this peacefulness doesn't always extend to other groups of Tonkean macaques. If two different groups meet, they can have intense fights. [1]
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Macaque Behavior
How Tonkean Macaques Communicate
Studies show that male macaques often talk to each other using facial expressions and by touching. The higher-ranking males usually start these interactions. These macaques tend to communicate most with those who are physically close to them.
They use special "contact calls" to share information about social events. How loud these calls are depends on the situation and how far away the other macaque is. Loud calls are used by members of the same social group to let others know where they are and what they are doing. Most of these loud calls come from males talking to other males in their group. There might be differences in how groups communicate based on things like their size, environment, or the number of males and females.
Macaque Social Life
Like other macaque species, Tonkean macaques live in groups where the females are in charge of the family lines. This is called a matrilineal system. They live in groups that include many males and many females. These groups usually have about 10 to 30 individuals.
Tonkean macaques are known to split into smaller groups for certain activities, like finding food. Their social system is quite relaxed. For example, members are allowed to interact with higher-ranking macaques without strict rules. The pecking order, or dominance hierarchy, stays pretty much the same over the years.
When there's a fight, the macaque that runs away is seen as the loser. About half the time, the one who runs away was the one who was threatened first. Sometimes, females have even been seen chasing the highest-ranking male up a tree!
For peaceful behaviors, macaques use a "silent bared-teeth display" to show they want to be friendly. They also use a "lipsmack" sound when talking to high-ranking macaques. Common friendly behaviors among individuals include clasps (like hugs), grunts, and lipsmacks. When someone steps in to stop a conflict peacefully, males are more likely to do this than females. Usually, the one who steps in is related to one of the macaques involved in the fight. One study found that peaceful interventions were twice as good at stopping a fight as using aggression. Friendly actions like grooming often happened after a peaceful intervention.
Sometimes, mothers will use loving behaviors like hugging and nibbling to try and stop a fight caused by their child. It's not always clear if this behavior is aggressive or not. To stop a conflict, macaques who are not involved have been seen using the lipsmack sound to step in. These peaceful ways of solving problems have been shown to be more effective than using aggression.
What Tonkean Macaques Eat
The Tonkean macaque's diet is mostly made up of fruit. This means they are frugivorous. They especially love ripe fruit from the Moraceae family, which includes fig trees.
Tonkean Macaque Reproduction
On average, female Tonkean macaques start having babies when they are about 4 to 5 years old. Their pregnancy lasts for about 173 days. Older, mature females attract more males than younger females, probably because they are more likely to have babies.
Parenting in Macaque Groups
In their social system, mothers often allow other females to help care for their young. This is called alloparenting. Mothers also tend to let their young connect and interact freely with other members of the group.
