Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina)

Order: PRIMATES

The primates are represented in Borneo by six families including the Hominidae, the family of Man. All primates have hands and feet which can grasp, digits generally with nails rather than claws, and both eyes on the front of the face. The Lorisidae and Tarsiidae are strictly nocturnal. The monkeys (family Cercopithecidae) and apes (families Hylobatidae and Pongidae) are diurnal and, along with tree squirrels and treeshrews, are the only mammals active in trees during the daytime.

Family: CERCOPITHECIDAE

Monkeys in Borneo are represented by two distinct groups: the langurs or leaf monkeys and the proboscis monkeys (subfamily Colobinae) and the macaques (subfamily Cercopithecidae). The colobines are mainly arboreal, have a long tail, lack cheek pouches and have a large, sacculated stomach which permits breakdown of leafy material into digestible substances and helps detoxify poisonous leaves. The macaques are partly terrestrial, with a short or long tail, cheek pouches for temporary storage of food and a simple stomach capable of breaking down only a limited amount of leafy material.

Measurements: HB 495, T 180, HF 158 (1 adult male). Wt: adult males 7-9 kg, adult females 4-6 kg (Peninsular Malaysian specimens heavier).

Identification: Olive-brown with whitish underparts and dark brown on top of head and neck. Short tail distinctive; other Bornean monkeys have a long tail, while apes have no tail at all. This is the only primate which often descends to the ground to flee from man.

Ecology and Habitat: Diurnal. Group size usually 15-40 monkeys, but solitary males are also encountered. Diet includes fruits and small vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Most often found in hill forests, sometimes entering plantations and gardens in adjacent lowlands where they can cause considerable damage to grain and fruit crops.

Distribution: Known throughout the lowlands and hills up to at least 1300m.