Philippine Long-tailed Macaque
Encyclopedia
The Philippine long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis philippensis) is a subspecies
of the crab-eating macaque
. It is found in most Philippine forests and woodlands, but especially in the mangrove
forests of western central Philippines
— particularly in Palawan
, the Visayas
, and Mindanao
. The names M. f. philippinensis or even M. f. philippinenesis have also been used, but arise from orthographical error.
, Visayas
, Mindanao
). However, though assessed Near Threatened
, it is actually in serious retreat or already extinct in much of its original range. For instance, in Olongapo in Zambales Province (western central Luzon), where a patch of old-growth forest remains, the monkeys have found some refuge; however, they are often road killed, accidentally electrocuted by live wires, and sometimes stoned.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the crab-eating macaque
Crab-eating Macaque
The Crab-eating macaque is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. It is also called the "long-tailed macaque", and is referred to as the "cynomolgus monkey" in laboratories.-Etymology:...
. It is found in most Philippine forests and woodlands, but especially in the mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forests of western central Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
— particularly in Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, the Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
, and Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. The names M. f. philippinensis or even M. f. philippinenesis have also been used, but arise from orthographical error.
Physical characteristics
The Philippine long-tailed macaque has a reddish brown coat. Its tail has an average length of 50 cm to 60 cm. It can reach a height of 40–50 cm (16–20 in). It is the size of a domestic cat. Male macaques weigh 4–8 kg, but females only attain 3–4 kg.Distribution and conservation status
The Philippine long-tailed macaque is found on all major Philippine islands (LuzonLuzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
, Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
). However, though assessed Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
, it is actually in serious retreat or already extinct in much of its original range. For instance, in Olongapo in Zambales Province (western central Luzon), where a patch of old-growth forest remains, the monkeys have found some refuge; however, they are often road killed, accidentally electrocuted by live wires, and sometimes stoned.