9781422276396

ANIMALS IN THE WILD

MONKEYS & APES

Paul Sterry

ABOUT THE AUTHOR PAUL STERRY is the author of numerous books on the subjects of wildlife and natural history. He holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of London, and has been a research fellow at Sussex University. A world traveler, Mr. Sterry has photographed and studied natural history subjects in places as diverse as the Amazon, the Galapagos, and Alaska. He lives in Hampshire, England.

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ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4172-1 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4163-9 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7639-6

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INTRODUCTION

Japanese macaques are one of the few species of apes and monkeys to live away from the tropics. They are found in Japan and their thick fur helps them survive the harsh winters.

A pes and monkeys are our closest living relatives, and it is impossible not to find them fascinating. In their behavior we see a reflection of our own. While it is inappropriate to anthropomorphize—that is, to interpret their behavior purely in human terms—we do, nonetheless, have a lot in common with them. A study of apes and monkeys can tell us, on occasion, more than we might care to know about ourselves. Apes and monkeys range in size from the tiny pygmy mar- moset to the huge gorilla. Despite this considerable diversity in physical appearance, apes and monkeys show surprisingly little

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variation in their overall anatomi- cal plan. What does vary enormously, however, is their behavior and the ways in which they adapt to changes in their environment. Intelligence and the ability to learn are the keys to their survival, and in that respect we owe our common ancestors a debt of grat- itude. Without the ability to develop and adapt these characteristics, Homo sapiens would not have advanced in the way the species has. In this book, apes and monkeys are discussed initially in the context of their wider classification as primates. Their adaptations to life will be explored as

well as their fascinating and complex social behavior. Last, although most people today find apes and monkeys intriguing, their relationship to human- kind has not always been mutually beneficial. Some species are hunted for food by indigenous peoples, and hab- itat loss is a major threat around the world. Several species, ranging from squirrel monkeys to chimpanzees and orangutans, continue to be exploited by the pet trade. All these threats are discussed together with positive conser- vation measures and opportunities to observe these fascinating mammals in the wild.

Chimpanzees live in fairly

loose community groups comprising females, juveniles,

and a smaller proportion of males. This

group from West Africa is viewing intruders into their territory with suspicion.

This young orangutan is moving through the trees with complete ease and confidence, using both hands and feet to assist its progress. In bright light the orange-red hair is conspicuous, but in dappled conditions the animals are surprisingly difficult to see.

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A PANORAMA OF PRIMATES Biologists concerned with the classification of the animal kingdom place apes and mon- keys in a taxonomic group called primates. This particular category is called an “order” and is the one which humans also belong to. As well as the more highly developed apes and monkeys, the primates include more primitive representatives, known as prosimians—the so-called lower primates—which show few similarities to humans. The primate order contains around 180 species and is broadly divided into two major divisions: the prosimians, or lower pri- mates, and the monkeys and apes, referred to as higher primates. The lower primates include lemurs, the aye-aye, bush babies, lorises, and tarsiers. The higher primates include all the other groups, from both the New World and Old World. Included are howler monkeys, capuchins, marmosets, baboons, and langurs; the lesser apes (the siamang and gibbons); the great apes (goril- las, chimpanzees, and orangutans); and, last, humankind. Almost all primate species are found in the tropical regions of the world. Rain forests dis- play the greatest diversity and abundance. The reason for this global distribution is linked with food and feeding. Although omnivorous, primates feed to a great extent on fruits, nuts, young leaves, and insects: equatorial and tropical regions offer these food supplies more or less year-round while they are seasonal in temperate regions. Exceptions to this gen- eralization include humans and two species of monkey—the Japanese macaque and the Barbary ape (the latter, despite its name, is a macaque, not an ape). The lifestyles of apes and monkeys are often described by the precise niche that they

Swamp forests in central and eastern Africa are home to the strange but elegant de Brazza’s monkey. The most striking aspect of this species is the ginger brow and the long, white beard.

L’Hoest’s monkeys live in montane forests of central Africa, their range overlapping with that of the mountain gorilla. Group sizes are small with a single dominant male in command.

occupy within their environment. None lives underground, and so they are characterized as either terrestrial—living on the ground— or arboreal—living in the trees. Some spe- cies can, quite happily, make the transition between the two zones, while others may be confined to one or the other through adapta- tions in anatomy and behavior. Throughout the evolution of apes and mon- keys, there has been a trend toward increas- ing brain size, both in relative terms and in absolute terms. With this has come increas- ing intelligence and an ability to learn. Apes and monkeys are social animals, and their social structure and behavior patterns have also become complex and varied, especially in advanced species such as the great apes. The development and maturity of young apes and monkeys have also become longer as the group has evolved, and as a consequence, their life spans have increased.

Following page: Large male mountain gorillas are often referred to as “silverbacks” for obvious reasons. This silverback will be the only fully mature male in his group, the focal point of their behavior and daily activity.

Male western lowland gorillas characteristically show the hair on the head slightly chestnut or ginger. This picture clearly shows the peaked head so typical of mature male gorillas.

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people from captivity but are also wide- spread in deciduous forests on Madagascar. Like other lemurs, they are mostly arboreal, but groups, typically of five to 30 animals, often move across the ground holding their striped tails aloft. Like other true lemurs, ring-tailed lemurs are essentially vegetar- ians, feeding on leaves, fruit, and flowers. There is surprisingly little geographi- cal or habitat overlap among the different lemur species. The most common species— the red- fronted lemur—is widely distrib- uted in west coast forests, while the ruffed lemur is found only in east coast rain for- ests and the brown lemur occurs mainly on

From Lemurs to Bush Babies Perhaps the best-known members of the lower primates are the lemurs, unusual- looking primates with dog-like faces. Together with the closely related dwarf and mouse lemurs, the sifakas, the indri, and the aye-aye, lemurs occur only on the island of Madagascar, off the east coast of southern Africa. How they arrived here in the absence of any other primate species is something of a mystery. However, arrive they did, and over the last 30 million years or so, they evolved into an array of adaptive forms of which, sadly, only 10 remain today. Ring-tailed lemurs are familiar to many

Taxonomists disagree as to whether the red ruffed lemur is a race of the ruffed lemur or a separate species. Whichever is the case, it is very rare, found only in small areas in the northern part of eastern Madagascar’s coastal rain forest.

The long, banded tail of the ring-tailed lemur is its most distinctive feature. The animal is diurnal, and the tail is used to signal mood and intention to other members of the family group.

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Black-and-white ruffed lemurs occur in the remaining stretches of rain forest on the east coast of Madagascar. Pairs often seem to remain together for life, and females usually give birth to twins. Verreaux’s sifaka is one of the largest of all modern-day lemurs. It lives in groups of five to 10 animals and is active during the hours of daylight. A sifaka’s diet includes bark, leaves, and fruit.

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