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Species ProfilesJapanese Macaque
The Japanese macaque or snow monkey (Macaca fuscata), lives farther north than any other primate, with the exception of Homo sapiens. Native to three of the four main islands of Japan, (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) as well as several smaller islands, its habitat includes forests, highlands and mountainous areas. Macaques live in specific groups known as troops, which usually consist of 20-30 individuals, although in isolated cases, troops have been known to contain as many as three times that number. Macaques, like their human counterparts, have opposable thumbs. They vary in length from two to four feet and have distinctive, hairless red faces. Coats range from gray to reddish-brown and grow thick in the winter months. Macaques are mainly frugivorous, making their diet from seeds, leaves, flowers, insects and tree bark. Their food supply changes according to season. Bark becomes a main food source during colder months when vegetation is scarce.
Japanese macaques reach sexual maturity at three years and have promiscuous breeding habits, meaning both sexes have multiple partners over the course of one mating season. Choosing partners is not solely specific to male preference, but to female choice as well. Genetic diversity remains strong within this pattern because females avoid breeding with a previous partner for several years, thus preventing inbreeding. Gestation lasts for five to six months, with births ranging from early spring to late summer. Parental responsibilities are shared.
The macaque is also a well-documented wonder of scientific research. It is the first non-human species to have demonstrated "cultural transmission," a behavior previously thought to be unique to humans. Cultural transmission is the passing of behavior among individuals and across generations. One example of this phenomenon is potato washing. In the 1950's researchers brought a troop of macaques onto a beach, where they had set out some sweet potatoes. One monkey in the group decided to wash her potato in the ocean rather than brushing the sand from it. This behavior was then gradually adopted by other troop members and subsequently passed on through generations. Washing food in salt water became a preferred practice among troop members. Although the Japanese macaque is of great natural and scientific value as a species, it faces several obstacles to survival. Clear-cutting of forests, the macaque's natural habitat, forced the animals to venture elsewhere for food, drawing them into cropland. The resulting crop devastation caused farmers to trap and hunt the animals, causing a substantial decline in the macaque population. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service designated the species as threatened in 1976. Sources and Further Reading:
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