Northern pig-tailed macaque

Northern pig-tailed macaque
JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Northern pig-tailed macaque
Status	EN
Status system	IUCN3.1
Genus	Macaca
Species	leonina
Authority	(Blyth, 1870)

Contents

Northern pig-tailed macaque

The Northern pig-tailed macaque is a primate of the genus Macaca native to mainland Southeast Asia. It is recognized for its compact body, short tail, and adaptable foraging habits, and has been the subject of field studies by researchers associated with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Royal Ontario Museum, Zoological Society of London, and university programs at University of Oxford and National University of Singapore. Populations are monitored by conservation organizations including IUCN, WWF, TRAFFIC, and national agencies in countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.

Taxonomy and classification

Described by Edward Blyth in 1870, the species is placed in the family Cercopithecidae and the genus Macaca, which also includes species studied at the Natural History Museum, London and the American Museum of Natural History such as the rhesus macaque, long-tailed macaque, and pig-tailed macaque. Taxonomic treatments have been revised by scholars at institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and researchers affiliated with University of Cambridge and Max Planck Society using morphological and molecular methods similar to work on primates by teams at the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University and Yale University. Debates over species limits have involved comparisons with taxa described in works from the Zoological Society of London and regional faunal surveys commissioned by ministries in Thailand and China.

Adults exhibit sexual dimorphism reported in field guides used by the Royal Society and illustrated in collections at the Linnean Society of London and Field Museum of Natural History. Male body size and canine development are noted in studies from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and papers in journals edited by the Nature Publishing Group and Oxford University Press. Coat coloration, facial features, and the characteristic short, upward-curving tail are comparable to descriptions in monographs held by the British Library and research compiled by the Smithsonian Institution. Morphometric analyses have been published by teams affiliated with University of California, Berkeley, University of Tokyo, and Harvard University.

The species occurs across parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China, with range assessments coordinated by IUCN specialists and national biodiversity agencies such as Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and Vietnam's Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources. Habitats include lowland and submontane forests documented in surveys by WWF and regional conservation NGOs working alongside researchers from University of Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen University. Range maps and occurrence records have been collated in databases maintained by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and projects at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Social organization has been described in field studies conducted by researchers affiliated with Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, University of Oxford, National University of Singapore, and NGOs such as Fauna & Flora International. Groups typically display multimale-multifemale dynamics similar to those reported for the rhesus macaque and long-tailed macaque in comparative studies published by the American Society of Primatologists and articles in journals edited by Cambridge University Press. Dominance hierarchies, grooming networks, and agonistic interactions have been analyzed using methods developed at the Max Planck Institute and statistical approaches taught at Imperial College London. Vocalizations and alarm calls are documented in acoustic surveys supported by institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Foraging ecology draws on observations from teams at the National University of Singapore, Chiang Mai University, and field stations run by the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica and Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Diet includes fruits, seeds, leaves, invertebrates, and small vertebrates similar to diets reported for macaques in publications by the British Ecological Society and Ecological Society of America. Seasonal shifts in feeding behavior have been linked to phenological studies coordinated with botanical gardens such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and research at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Reproductive parameters and life history traits have been documented in captive and wild populations studied by researchers at the Smithsonian National Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, and university programs at University of Cambridge and University of California, Davis. Gestation length, infant development, and maternal care are described in primatology curricula at the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University and in longitudinal studies funded by grants from organizations like the National Geographic Society and National Science Foundation. Age at maturity and lifespan comparisons reference datasets compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and zoo associations such as the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

Classified as Endangered in assessments by IUCN, threats include habitat loss from development projects overseen by agencies in Thailand and Vietnam, hunting pressures documented by investigations from TRAFFIC and Fauna & Flora International, and capture for bushmeat and pet trade reported in studies by WWF and regional enforcement actions conducted with support from Interpol. Conservation measures involve protected areas managed by national parks such as Kaeng Krachan National Park and international collaborations among institutions including the Zoological Society of London, Smithsonian Institution, and universities like National University of Singapore and University of Oxford. Recovery actions promoted by NGOs and government bodies include anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration projects supported by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and ex situ programs coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

Category:Macaca Category:Primates of Asia Category:Endangered animals