Proboscis Monkey

• Common Name: Proboscis Monkey
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1787
• Monkey Size: 60 to 70 cm (23.62 to 27.56 in)
• Skin Color(s): Reddish-brown
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Borneo

The proboscis monkey^[1] (Nasalis larvatus) is an Old-World arboreal species with an unusually large nose, reddish-brown skin color, and a long tail.

• This long-nosed monkey is native to the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, mainly found in the island’s mangrove forests and coastal areas.
• The proboscis monkey has long fur; the fur on the back is reddish brown, bright orange, tawny, or brick red.
• The undercoat is light gray, yellowish, or grayish to light orange. This is because babies are born with blue face that turns gray by 2.5 months.
• At 8.5 months, the face has become cream-colored like that of adults.
• Both sexes have bulging bellies, giving monkeys the appearance of a potbelly. Most of the monkey’s toes are webbed.
• Males have a broad, protruding nose that enhances resonant vocalizations. The female’s nose is smaller.

In the wild, the Proboscis Monkey nourishes on^[¶]:

• Hexapoda (Insecta)
• Fig (Ficus)
• Breadfruit (Artocarpus)
• Common Fig (Ficus carica).
• Clustertree (Ficus racemosa)
• Combretums (Combretaceae)

Crocodiles (Crocodylidae) and Leopards (Panthera pardus) predate Proboscis Monkeys^[§].

• The proboscis monkey is a large species and one of the largest Old-World monkey species native to Asia. Only the Tibetan macaque and some gray langurs can match its size.
• They usually live in groups consisting of an adult male, a few adult females, and their young.
• These monkeys live in overlapping home ranges with little territoriality in a fission-fusion society where groups congregate at roosting sites by nightfall.
• Probosci monkeys are diurnal and prefer to be active from late afternoon to dusk.
• Proboscis monkeys meet during the day and travel together, but individuals only groom and play with their own group.