Specimen Showcase｜Playful Prankster Organizing Criminal?
- Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
In south, central and southern east Asia, 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘤𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢 (Zimmermann, 1780), commonly known as rhesus macaque or rhesus monkey occupy different habitats🐵. These monkeys have the widest ecology among all non-human primates, living in tropical forests to mountainous regions to urban areas🏙. In Hong Kong, they were introduced in 1913, during the construction of Kowloon reservoir. The reservoir was then surrounded by 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘯𝘶𝘹-𝘷𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘢 (Linnaeus, 1753), which has poisonous fruits. Although their fruit might be lethal to humans, the rhesus macaque were not affected by the poison and they like to eat the fruits. Concerns about fruit accumulating into the reservoir, and thus poisoning drinking water, the rhesus macaque were released to eat the 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘯𝘶𝘹-𝘷𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘢, ensuring the safety of drinking water. Since then, they established a stable population in Hong Kong.
Rhesus macaques are medium-sized primates, which typically weigh about 7-8 kg. They have a distinctive coat of short, soft fur that varies in color from brown to gray, often with lighter underparts. Notable features include their expressive faces, which possess a flat profile, and their prominent, inquisitive eyes👀. Their strong limbs and agile movements make them adept climbers and foragers in both natural and urban settings💪. This is not the only adaptation they have to live in urban environments. Rhesus macaques learn to exploit human food sources, opening trash cans or other food containers to loot food🗑. They can also work collectively to steal food from another primate species, humans. While some individuals may distract the person, others will sneak upon and raid the poor victim.
As a sociable animal, rhesus macaques will form a troop of 20-200 individuals living together👨👩👧👦. These troops possess a complicated and hierarchical structure. At the top of this hierarchy, a central male subgroup consisting of two to three of the oldest and most seasoned male rhesus macaques.👑. The central male subgroup will head the troop and determine the movement, foraging and other routines. For the females, however, the younger females have a higher rank than their older siblings. Younger females are more fit and fertile than their older siblings, so they can contribute more to the troop, giving them a higher rank🥇. To effectively communicate in the troop, rhesus macaques can not only use sounds, but also facial expressions, body postures and gestures. They will signal other monkeys for grooming, to give orders to lower rank monkeys or to show fear🙈.
When looking for food, macaques may encounter natural barriers like water. This is not a problem though as Rhesus macaques are also good swimmers💦. They can easily reach the other side of a river to gain more resources, or they can also use their swimming skills to escape predators. Outside of surviving purpose, rhesus macaque also enjoys playing in water🏖. A closely related macaque species, 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘤𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘢 (Blyth, 1875) also known as Japanese macaques have an interesting way to relieve stress. These composed macaques know how to enjoy their life, by bathing in hot spring♨️! And this actually helps them relieve stress. From the fecal glucocorticoid level, which is a hormone used to determine stress levels of macaque, scientists found out that Japanese macaques that bathe in hot springs have lower stress levels.
Rhesus macaques are known for their intelligences🧠, which is evident in their problem-solving abilities and social interactions. These clever primates have demonstrated remarkable cognitive skills, particularly in their ability to use tools, a trait that showcases their adaptability and resourcefulness🛠. For instance, they have been observed using stones to crack open hard-shelled nuts and employing sticks to extract insects from crevices, highlighting their capacity for innovative thinking. This tool-use behavior not only reflects their understanding of cause and effect but also indicates their ability to manipulate their environment to meet their needs. Additionally, Rhesus macaques exhibit social learning, where younger individuals observe and imitate the tool-use techniques of older, more experienced macaques, further emphasizing the importance of social interactions in their cognitive development. Researchers have found that some of the usage of tools was developed hundreds of years ago, with this cultural skill being passed from one generation to the next.
Fascinated by the witty but cheeky rhesus macaque? Explore the impressive specimen of this remarkable primate alongside a diverse array of other animal specimens and don’t miss the chance to see these incredible creatures up close and deepen your understanding of the natural world in Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum! And if you enjoy this post, please share it with friends and follow us for more amazing biodiversity stories weekly.
Text : Paco Choi
Comentarios