Rhesus Macaque: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Monkeys of Africa and Asia · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. No primate apart from humans spreads over a wider area. It lives in grasslands, woods, dry lands and mountains up to 2,500 m high.
2. These monkeys are strong swimmers. In Florida, a boat-tour owner once tried to keep some on a river island, but they swam away.
3. Far from rivers, they lick drops of dew off leaves and sip rainwater that collects in hollow trees.
4. In a troop, a female's rank comes from her mother. Unusually, the youngest sisters tend to rank above their older sisters.
5. At an Indian train station in 2014, people watched one rhesus macaque bring another back round after it was knocked out by power lines.

The quiz

1. What record does the rhesus macaque hold among primates other than humans?

• The longest tail
• The loudest call
• The smallest body
• The widest range (correct)

Apart from humans, no primate is spread over a wider area.

2. How did rhesus macaques get off a river island in Florida?

• They built a raft of branches
• They swam (correct)
• They dug a tunnel
• They hid on a tour boat

They are proficient swimmers, so the island plan did not work.

3. How do rhesus macaques living far from water get a drink?

• They lick dew and drink rainwater from tree hollows (correct)
• They dig deep wells
• They only eat snow
• They squeeze water from stones

They lick dewdrops from leaves and drink rain caught in tree hollows.

4. Which sister usually ranks highest in a rhesus macaque family?

• The oldest sister
• Whoever has the longest tail
• The youngest sister (correct)
• Whoever wins a race

Unusually, younger females often rank above their big sisters.

5. What did people see at a train station in India in 2014?

• A macaque riding on top of a train
• A macaque reviving another one (correct)
• Macaques fishing in a fountain
• A macaque buying a ticket

One rhesus macaque revived another that had been knocked out by power lines.

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