As well as being the most northerly-living non-human primate, Japanese macaques are also famous for washing their food. They are often the subject of Buddhist myths, and are thought to be the inspiration behind the saying "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."
Subspecies
Two subspecies.
Life span
Japanese macaques have a lifespan of over 30 years.
Statistics
Body length: 79-95cm, Tail length: 10cm, Weight: Males 10-14kg, Females 5.5kg.
Physical Description
Japanese macaques have brown to grey fur, with a red face and bottom, and a short tail.
Distribution
They are native to Japan, but an introduced free-ranging population has been living in Texas since 1972.
Habitat
Japanese macaques live in a variety of forest-types, including subtropical to subalpine, deciduous, broadleaf and evergreen forests, below 1500m.
Diet
They feed on seeds, roots, buds, fruit, invertebrates, berries, leaves, birds eggs, fungi, bark and cereals.
Behaviour
Japanese macaques live in multi-male, multi-female groups, and on average, females outnumber males by 3.4 to 1. The females have a rigid hierarchy with infants inheriting their mother's rank. The males tend to be transient within the troop. Japanese macaques are diurnal and spend the majority of their time in the trees.
Reproduction
After a gestation period of 173 days, females give birth to one young, which weighs about 500g at birth.
Conservation status
Japanese macaques are classified as Data Deficient by the 2000 IUCN Red List.
Notes
When researchers studying these monkeys left sweet potatoes out on the beach for them to feed on, they witnessed one female taking the food down to the sea to wash the sand away. After a while, other macaques started to copy her behaviour. This trait was then passed on from generation to generation, until eventually, all except the very old members of the troop were washing their food in the sea.
Records
Japanese macaques are the most northerly-living non-human primate, living in mountainous areas of Honshu, Japan. They survive winter temperatures below -15 degrees Centigrade, and keep warm in naturally heated volcanic springs.
Records
Japanese macaques are the most northerly-living non-human primate, living in mountainous areas of Honshu, Japan. They survive winter temperatures below -15 degrees Centigrade, and keep warm in naturally heated volcanic springs.