Hi everyone and welcome to a special edition of Monkey & Ape Mondays! This final collage is a group shot of the gibbons, the long-tailed macaques and the pig-tailed macaques. Hardcore volunteers will recognise Fang and Bob! Southern Pig-tailed Macaques (which include Fang and Bob) can be found throughout Southern Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and Bangka Island - dwelling in forest areas up to 2,000m elevation (although they have been reported to entire areas inhabited by humans). Although they are skilled climbers, these monkeys are mainly terrestrial and, unlike most primates, they are very fond of water. They live in large groups, which splinter off into smaller gangs when they forage - eating an omnivorous diet of fruit, seeds, berries, fungi and invertebrates Hierarchies differ between males and females - males are based on strength, females based on hereditary. Females lead the group whilst males role is to handle internal conflicts. IUCN lists the species as Vulnerable. I dont know much about Bob but I know Fang suffers from a severe physical disability; his right arm twisted into a deformed knot, however this does not seem to hinder him much and he is a charismatic little monkey. Long-Tailed Macaques are native to South East Asia and have had a long history of being noted in human culture - as a pest, as a deity or as the subject of medical experiments. They also live in larger groups led by females - and show signs of a delicate social structure, particularly when it comes to post-conflict resolutions (such as grooming to make up for a fight). Like the Pig-Tails, the Long-Tails are also omnivorous, with fruit and seeds making up between 60%-90% of their diet - they also snack on flowers, bark, baby birds, lizards and even fish. They have also been known to practice tools use; utilising stones to crack open nuts and shellfish, as well as washing their food. Long-tailed Macaques are the third most numerous primate, after humans and Rhesus Monkeys, and as such have been labelled by IUCN as Least Concern. However, individual subspecies are facing varying threats and as such is possible that local numbers can be classed as Vulnerable - but much further study is required. Gibbons, categorised at Lesser Apes, can be found from northern India and southern China all the way down to Sumatra, Borneo and Java. Like orangutans, a gibbons form of locomotion is through brachiation - using their arms to swing from branch to branch - up to astonishing speeds of 55kmph (34mph)! A unique feature of the gibbon is that their wrists are made up of ball-and-socket joints - which gives them incredible dexterity and allows them to change direction at the blink of an eye without having to slow down. Gibbons are very social animals, extremely territorial and form bonded mating pairs. The male and female serenade each other - their songs (heard from over 1km away) rising in pitch to reach a climax before descending again to silence. The Bornean Gibbon is classed as Endangered by IUCN. All three of these species are effected by habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. Photos of Bob and Fang are accredited to Pongo Pygmaeus Pygmeaus The Long-Tailed Macaques were by Kathleen Pola and the gibbons were by Jenny Aundrews, Gill Bartlett and Debbie McKraken So that is it folks - thats the end of the collages! :( Thank you all for watching, I hoped you enjoyed them, and I hope that when you visit Matang youll know a little more about the individual residents and the plights of the different Bornean species.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 08:34:09 +0000