Thai National Parks

Species of Thailand

Stump-tailed macaque

Macaca arctoides, Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1831

(In Thai: ลิงเสน)

The stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque found in South Asia. In India, it is found in south of the Brahmaputra River, in the northeastern part of the country. Its range in India extends from Assam and Meghalaya to eastern Aruanchal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

It is primarily frugivorous, but eats many types of vegetation, such as seeds, leaves and roots, but also hunts freshwater crabs, frogs, bird eggs and insects.

Physical characteristics

The stump-tailed macaque has long, thick, dark brown fur covering its body, but its face and its short tail, which measures between 32 and 69mm, are hairless. Infants are born white and darken as they mature. As they age, their bright pink or red faces darken to brown or nearly black and lose most of their hair. Males are larger than females, measuring 51.7-65cm long and weighing 9.7-10.2kg, while females measure 48.5-58.5cm and weigh 7.5-9.1kg. Males' canine teeth, which are important for establishing dominance within social groups, are more elongated than those of the females. Like all macaques, this species has cheek pouches to store food for short periods of time.

Habitat

This Old World monkey travels quadrupedally, usually on the ground, as it is not very agile in trees. It is generally found in subtropical and tropical broadleaf evergreen forests, in different elevations depending on the amount of rainfall in the area. It depends on rainforests for food and shelter, and is not found in dry forests except where it ranges in the Himalayan region of India, only spending time in secondary forests if it is bordering primary tropical forests. With its thick fur, the stump-tailed macaque can live in cold climates, up to 4, 000 meters.It is distributed from northeastern India and southern China into the northwest tip of West Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. It is also found in Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, and far eastern Bangladesh.

A study population was introduced to Tanaxpillo, an uninhabited island in Lake Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico in 1974, where it ranges in seminatural conditions. Most information on the species comes from the introduced population on Tanaxpillo and other captive settings, as few long-term studies have been conducted on the stump-tailed macaque in the wild.

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Scientific classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Primates
Family
Cercopithecidae
Genus
Macaca
Species
Macaca arctoides

Common names

  • German:
    • Bärenmakak
    • Stummelschwanzmakak
  • English:
    • Bear macaque
    • Stump-tailed macaque
    • Stumptail macaque
  • Spanish: Macaca ursin
  • French: Macaque brun
  • Italian: Macaco orsino
  • Dutch: Beermakaak
  • Thai: ลิงเสน

Synonyms

  • Macaca melli, Matschie (1912)
  • Macaca harmandi, Trouessart (1897)
  • Macaca speciosus, Murie (1875)
  • Macaca rufescens, John Anderson (1872)
  • Macaca brunneus, John Anderson (1871)
  • Macaca ursinus, Gervais (1854)
  • Macaca melanotus, Ogilby (1839)

Conservation status

Vulnerable (IUCN3.1)

Vulnerable (IUCN3.1)

Photos

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Stump-tailed macaque
Macaca arctoides
Macaca arctoides (juvenile) - Kaeng Krachan National Park
Stump-tailed macaque
Stump-tailed macaque
Stump-tailed macaque
Macaca arctoides
Macaca arctoides

Range Map

Distribution map of Stump-tailed macaque, Macaca arctoides in Thailand
  • Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Kaeng Krachan National Park
  • Khao Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Khao Luang National Park
  • Khao Sok National Park
  • Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Kui Buri National Park
  • Mae Nam Phachi Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Mae Wong National Park
  • Mueang Krabi District, Krabi
  • Pang Sida National Park
  • Royal Chumphon Forest Park
  • Sai Yok National Park
  • Tha Yang District, Phetchaburi
  • Ton Nga-Chang Wildlife Sanctuary
Range map of Macaca arctoides in Thailand