Toque Macaque

• Common Name: Toque Macaque
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1771
• Monkey Size: 36.7 to 49.5 cm (14.45 to 19.49 in)
• Skin Color(s): Golden or orange-brown to yellowish or olive
• Habitat: Forest, scrub forest
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Sri Lanka

The toque macaque^[1] (Macaca sinica) is a red-brown Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka, known as the rilewa or rilawa.

• The fur that covers the upper part of toque macaques varies in color depending on the subspecies.
• Coloration generally ranges from golden or orange-brown to yellowish or olive. Their furry undersides are white, and tufts of white fur protrude from the monkeys’ large, scalloped, prominent black ears.
• The long tail is dark above and pale white below. An elongated, hairless muzzle gives way to a prominent chin; the narrow lips are black.
• With age, the female species’ face becomes pink (hues range from pale to light, almost red). This pink coloration is particularly evident in the dry-zone toque macaques.
• The males have dull brown, hairless faces. One of the toque macaques’ most distinctive features (if not the most striking) is their scruffy, unkempt hairstyle.
• Nature has created a blatant hair tangle on every monkey’s head. As a result, this decorative lace has been likened to a brimless cap (referred to as a “toque“).
• Like their fur, the coloration and exaggeration of their spiral hairdo differ depending on the subspecies and region in which these monkeys live.

The Toque Macaque diet includes^[¶]:

• Golden Shower (Cassia fistula).
• Clustertree (Ficus racemosa)
• Indian Ash tree (Lannea coromandelica).
• Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
• Lac Tree (Schleichera oleosa).
• Chastetree (Vitex)
• Duhat (Syzygium cumini)
• Mahua (Madhuca longifolia)
• Roxburgh’s Cassia (Cassia roxburghii).
• Indian Banyan (Ficus benghalensis).
• Hazel Sterculia (Sterculia foetida).
• Horn Of Plenty (Datura metel).
• Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
• Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera).

• Its common name refers to the strand of hair on its head that resembles a brimless hat.
• ​Toque macaques are excellent swimmers and dive underwater to search for their favorite plants.
• They tend to make friends with other species. For example, it is typical for macaques living near humans to become friends with and groom the family pet.
• When sensing danger, these monkeys use both hands to stuff food into their cheek pouches for later eating and flee to nearby trees for safety.
• Toque macaques are social animals living in family groups of multiple males and females called “troops“. Troop sizes range from 8-40 people, with an average troop size of 21.