Stump-tailed Macaque (Macaca arctoides) lives in tropical rainforest across Southeast Asia. It feeds on fruits and insects. Its conservation status is Vulnerable.
Fascinating facts about the Stump-tailed Macaque
- Their tail is barely longer than a thumb nail, measuring just 32-69 mm. This hairless stump makes them poor climbers and forces them to spend most of their day on the forest floor, shaping a semi-terrestrial lifestyle that differs from their arboreal cousins. The tiny tail also gives the species its name, highlighting how a single anatomical quirk can dictate an entire niche.
- Males tower over females, reaching 51.7-65 cm in length and weighing up to 10.2 kg, while females are only 48.5-58.5 cm and 7.5-9.1 kg. This pronounced sexual dimorphism fuels a hierarchy where larger males use their size and longer canines to dominate groups.
- Females breed twice a year, once in the hot months of July-August and again in November, giving the species two distinct birth peaks. After a 177-day gestation, infants are weaned at nine months but remain dependent for about 1.5 years before achieving independence. This relatively long juvenile period means each female only produces a single offspring roughly every two years.
- Their diet is stored in cheek pouches that can hold a volume equal to their stomach, and they also eat seeds, leaves, roots, frogs, crabs and bird eggs. By swallowing seeds and later defecating them far from the parent tree, they act as vital seed dispersers across the evergreen forests they inhabit up to 4,000 m elevation. This service helps maintain forest diversity.
- The IUCN lists the stump-tailed macaque as Vulnerable, noting a 20 % drop in numbers over the past decade and a projected decline over the next 30 years due to hunting and habitat loss. In Cambodia, only 230 individuals remain in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, and the species may already be extinct in Bangladesh. Their shrinking range underscores how quickly a once-widespread forest dweller can become imperiled.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSoutheast Asia
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietFruits and insects
About the Stump-tailed Macaque
In the lush, vibrant forests of Southeast Asia, the stump-tailed macaque weaves a complex social tapestry, its agile form darting through the canopy with effortless ease, as it forages for fruit and leaves with a discerning eye. With a distinctive pink face and shaggy coat, this charismatic primate navigates its surroundings with a quiet confidence, its expressive features conveying a depth of emotion that is both captivating and humbling. As it moves through the trees, its very existence a testament to the rich biodiversity of its native habitat, the stump-tailed macaque reminds us of the precious beauty that is worth preserving, and the urgent need to protect it.
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