By Toni Lynn Newell
Geographic Range
Celebes apes (Macaca nigra) are found only on the islands of Indonesia, mainly the island of Sulawesi. These islands are located just north of the equator (Hamada, 1994).
Biogeographic Regions:
oriental 
(native ); oceanic islands (native ).
Habitat
The islands of Indonesia where Celebes apes are found are moist and tropical with rich plant and animal life. Most Celebes apes are found in protected reserviors in the north eastern corner of Sulawesi or on Bacan Island (Sugardjito, 1989).
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
tropical ; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
rainforest .
Physical Description
The hair of the celebes ape is mainly black except for a patch from the shoulder to the ilium and the combination of white and black hairs on the shoulders and upper arms. Celebes apes are also distinquished by the presence of a crest of hair on their crown (Hamada, 1994).
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Reproduction
Since there have not been many field studies on the celebes ape, little is known about their reproductive and mating behavior.
Key reproductive features:
gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual .
All female mammals nurse and care for their young to some extent after they are born. Most primate young spend a relatively long time learning and growing. Female celebes apes stay within their natal groups their entire lives and inherit the dominance rank of their mothers.
Parental investment:
pre-fertilization (provisioning, protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-independence (protecting: female); post-independence association with parents; extended period of juvenile learning; maternal position in the dominance hierarchy affects status of young.
Behavior
Celebes apes, like other macaques, travel and live in groups. Females tend to stay with the same group all their lives while males switch from group to group. Since the females are permanent members, dominance within a particular group is determined by matrilines. Dominance in these groups occurs because the celebes apes are aware of who is related to whom in these matriarchal societies (Quiatt and Reynolds, 1993).
Key behaviors:
motile ; social ; dominance hierarchies .
Food Habits
Celebes apes are herbivorous, feeding mainly on fruits, flowers, insects, and eggs. Celebes apes find their food either in the woods or in the fields of the local farmers (Sugardjito, 1989).
Animal Foods:
eggs; insects.
Plant Foods:
fruit; flowers.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Celebes apes destroy farmers' crops by raiding the fields for food (Hamada, 1994).
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Celebes apes are currently used for food and trade on the islands of Indonesia. Sometimes these monkeys are trapped and taken in as pets by the locals of the islands (Hamada, 1994). However, humans may benefit more by maintaining intact populations of macaques than through their economic exploitation.
Conservation Status
The celebes apes is listed under Appendix II by CITES (Wilson, 1993). The habitat of the celebes ape is constantly shrinking on this island due to an increase of human activity, which includes cultivation, logging, and catching and killing celebes apes. On the other islands where celebes apes are found, mainly Bacan, the amount of human activity has not affected the population in any significant way (Hamaca, 1994).
Other Comments
Until a few years ago, celebes apes were believed to exist only on the island of Sulawesi. In 1990, field studies showed that monkeys with characteristics similiar to that of the celebes apes were found on neighboring islands. Since the population is isolated to these islands, not very many field studies have been conducted on these monkeys.
For More Information
Find Macaca nigra information at
Contributors
Toni Lynn Newell (author), University of Michigan.
Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
