Macaque

macaque, (genus Macaca), any of more than 20 species of gregarious Old World monkeys, all of which are Asian except for the Barbary macaque of North Africa. Macaques are robust primates whose arms and legs are of about the same length. Their fur is generally a shade of brown or black, and their muzzles, like those of baboons, are doglike but rounded in profile, with nostrils on the upper surface. The tail varies between species and may be long, of moderate length, short, or absent. Size differs between the sexes and between the species; males range in head and body length from about 41 to 70 cm (16 to 28 inches) and in weight from about 2.4 kg (5.3 pounds) in females and 5.5 kg in males of the smallest species, the crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis), to a maximum of about 13 kg in females and 18 kg in males of the largest species, the Tibetan macaque (M. thibetana).

Macaques live in troops of varying size. The males dominate the troop and live within a clear but shifting dominance rank order. The ranking of females is longer-lasting and depends on their genealogical position. Macaques are somewhat more arboreal than baboons but are equally at home on the ground; they are also able to swim. Depending on the species, they live in forests, on plains, or among cliffs and rocky terrain. Macaques are omnivorous, and they possess large cheek pouches in which they carry extra food. Breeding occurs year-round in some (mostly tropical) species, but, among those living outside the tropics, it is seasonal. Single young are born after about six months’ gestation and become adult at four years. Macaques are considered highly intelligent but may be bad-tempered as adults.