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Rhesus macaque - MACACA MULATTA

Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
Subclass: True Mammals (Eutheria)
Order: First Order Mammals (Primatea)
Family: Cercopithecidae.

The word "Macaque": "Macaque" possibly comes from an African word for "some monkeys." "Rhesus" is the name of an old mythological king of Thrace. This animals is also often called simply the Rhesus monkey.

Location: Northern India and southern China.

Habitat: Terrestrial and arboreal. Forests, woodlands, rocky terrain. It has also adapted to the human environment, and is often tound living near dwellings.

Description: This macaque has a long, light brown coat, which is paler on the underside. The head is round, the eyes oval, and the ears small. The front legs are longer than the hind legs. Length of head and body 20 in, tail about 10 in, weight 13 to 22 lbs, with females smaller than males.

Behavior: The macaques belong to a large subfamily of Old World monkeys which are not primarily leaf eaters. The rhesus macaque feeds on fruit, seeds, and berries, and also on insects and other small creatures. It moves about during the day alone or in families of up to 35 individuals, each headed by a founding female. It is territorial. It will defend its own territory, but subordinate groups usually avoid dominant groups, so physical battle is rare. It is equally at ease on the ground and in trees (where it sleeps).

Reproduction: After the gestation period of 130 to 180 days, the female delivers a single young, which she nurses for several months.