Wildlifeof China
Rhesus Macaque
Monkeys, Gibbons, Lorises & Colugo
Photo: Peter Burka · CC-BY-SA
Macaca mulatta
Basic stats
Diet
Roots, herbs, fruit, insects, crops and small animals
Habitat
Forest, mountain, grassland, dry country, farmland and urban areas
Range
From Afghanistan across South Asia into China and northern mainland Southeast Asia
Litter size
1
Gestation period
Approximately 165 days
Size
45–64cm, plus a 19–32cm tail
Weight
4–12kg
The rhesus macaque has grizzled brown upperparts, paler underparts and short hair over the head. Adults have conspicuously reddish bare skin on the face and rump. Its head-and-body length is 45–64cm, with a further 19–32cm of tail. Males are larger, weighing 6.5–12kg, while females average 5.5kg. These dimensions and the visible tail help distinguish it from the heavier, stump-tailed Tibetan macaque. (Animal Diversity Web)
The species is highly adaptable, occupying forests, mountains, grasslands, agricultural country and human settlements across its range. It is an omnivore whose seasonally changing diet includes roots, herbs, fruit, insects, crops and small animals. Rhesus macaques live in multi-male, multi-female groups and communicate through facial expressions, postures, calls and grooming. Gestation lasts around 165 days and nearly every pregnancy produces one infant. (Animal Diversity Web)
Quick answers
- What does the Rhesus Macaque eat?
- Roots, herbs, fruit, insects, crops and small animals
- What habitat does the Rhesus Macaque live in?
- Forest, mountain, grassland, dry country, farmland and urban areas
- Where is the Rhesus Macaque found?
- From Afghanistan across South Asia into China and northern mainland Southeast Asia
- What is the litter size of the Rhesus Macaque?
- 1
- How long is the gestation period of the Rhesus Macaque?
- Approximately 165 days
- How big is the Rhesus Macaque?
- 45–64cm, plus a 19–32cm tail
- How much does the Rhesus Macaque weigh?
- 4–12kg