Rhesus Macaque

• Common Name: Rhesus Macaque
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1780
• Monkey Size: 45 to 64 cm (17.72 to 25.20 in)
• Skin Color(s): Brown or grey
• Habitat: Desert or dune, savanna or grassland, forest, mountains
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Afghanistan, Vietnam, China

The rhesus macaque^[1] (Macaca mulatta), commonly known as the rhesus monkey, is a species of Old-World monkey.

• There are about 6 to 9 recognized subspecies, divided into two groups, those native to China and those native to India.
• The rhesus monkey is brown or gray in color and has a pink face with no fur. It has an average of 50 vertebrae and a large thorax.
• Its tail averages between 20.7 and 22.9 cm (8.1 and 9.0 in). Adult males average about 53 cm (21 in) and weigh about 7.7 kg (17 lb).
• Females are smaller, averaging 19 inches (47 cm) long and weighing 12 pounds (5.3 kg).
• The arm length to leg length ratio is 89.6 to 94.3%.

The African Journal of ecology describes that the main predators for Rhesus macaques are Leopards (Panthera pardus), Snow Leopards (Uncia uncia) and tigers (Panthera tigris) in the wild^[§].

• Rhesus monkeys are diurnal animals, both arboreal and terrestrial.
• They are quadrupedal, and when they are on the ground, they are digitigrade and plantigrade.
• Rhesus monkeys are very active and very vocal. They like to be in the water and are good swimmers.
• They have the widest geographic range of any non-human primate, occupying a wide variety of altitudes and habitats, from grasslands to arid, forested areas and close to human settlements.
• Like other macaques, the rhesus macaque is gregarious, with troops ranging from 20 to 200 individuals. Social groups are matrilineal, and a female’s rank is determined by the rank of her mother.