Toque macaque
| Toque macaque[1] | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Cercopithecidae |
| Genus: | Macaca |
| Species: | M. sinica |
| Binomial name | |
| Macaca sinica (Linnaeus, 1771) |
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| Toque Macaque range | |
The toque macaque (Macaca sinica) is a reddish-brown coloured Old World monkey endemic to both Sri Lanka, where it is locally known as the 'Rilewa' or 'Rilawa' (hence 'Rillow' in the Oxford English Dictionary). It is named for the toque shaped whorl of hair on its head, rather like the bonnet of the related Bonnet Macaque.
It lives in troops, sometimes numbering up to 20, and has developed into three subspecies. It has a head and body length of 35–55 cm (14–22 in), a tail length of 40–60 cm (16–24 in) and can weigh up to 8.4 kg (19 lb).
Troops of the toque macaque are a common sight in The Cultural Triangle, where many ancient temples are situated, hence earning them the nickname of "Temple Monkey".
There are two subspecies of Toque Macaque that have been described:
- Dryzone toque macaque, Macaca sinica sinica
- Wetzone toque macaque, Macaca sinica aurifrons
[edit] References
- ^ Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M, eds. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 164. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=12100562.
- ^ Dittus, W., Watson, A. & Molur, S. (2008). Macaca sinica. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 4 January 2009.
[edit] External links
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Wikispecies has information related to: Toque Macaque |
- ARKive - images and movies of the toque macaque (Macaca sinica)
- BBC - Science & Nature - Animals - Toque macaque
- Wolfgang Dittus - A Toque Macaque researcher
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