Current Status of Macaca mulatta in Taihangshan Mountains Area, Jiyuan, Henan, China

Primatologists have classified rhesus macaques of the Taihangshan Mountains area as Macaca mulatta tcheliensis, a subspecies confined to China. The northernmost area of its distribution is in the southern part of the Taihangshan Mountains, which includes a National Nature Reserve established in 1998...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of primatology 2007-10, Vol.28 (5), p.1085-1091
Main Authors: Lu, Ji-Qi, Hou, Jin-Huai, Wang, Hao-Feng, Qu, Wen-Yuan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Food resources
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat preferences
Habitats
Macaca mulatta
Mountains
Spring
Winter
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Summary:Primatologists have classified rhesus macaques of the Taihangshan Mountains area as Macaca mulatta tcheliensis, a subspecies confined to China. The northernmost area of its distribution is in the southern part of the Taihangshan Mountains, which includes a National Nature Reserve established in 1998. To investigate the current status of the subspecies, we surveyed the population and distribution of macaque groups in Jiyuan, Henan, China. In addition, we investigated habitat preferences and the food items foraged by macaques during winter and early spring. The results show that: 1) ca. 2100 macaques currently inhabit the Taihangshan Mountains National Nature Reserve, mainly in Jiyuan; 2) fragmentation of habitats of rhesus macaques have become severe in recent years; and 3) food resources are very poor during the long winter and the early spring. Macaques in the Taihangshan Mountains feed mainly on seeds, twigs, and bark and the eggs of some insects.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0164-0291
1573-8604
DOI:10.1007/s10764-007-9197-6