Macaca silenus
liontail macaque

Lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) are found only in India in the Western Ghats mountains. (BBC, 2005; Nowak, 1999)

Macaca silenus lives in evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforests and monsoon forests. They typically are associated with broadleaf trees, and can be found at elevations as great as 1,500 m. (BBC, 2005; Nowak, 1999)

Lion-tailed macaques are 40 to 61 cm in length, with the tail adding an additional 24 to 38 cm. Males typically weigh between 5 and 10 kg, but the smaller females weigh only 3 to 6 kg.

The body is covered with black fur. The tail is long, thin, and naked, with a tuft of black puffy hair at the tip. Both males and females have a grayish lion-like mane of fur that surrounds the face. The face itself is bare and black.

Macaca silenus has two incisors, one canine, three premolars, and two molars in each quadrant of the mouth (Lawlor, 1979). Lion-tailed macaques have cheek pouches that open beside the lower teeth and extend down the side of the neck.

Offspring are born with soft, black pelage that is replaced with adult pelage after two months of age (Burton, 1995). (BBC, 2005; Burton, 1995; Lawlor, 1979)

Macaca silenus has a maximum lifespan of 38 years in captivity, although it is more typical for them to reach about 30 years of age. In the wild, the expected maximum lifespan is about 20 years. (BBC, 2005; Nowak, 1999)

Lion-tailed macaques are arboreal and diurnal. They travel in a family group consisting of 10 to 20 members, but there can be as many as 34 members (Nowak, 1999). Some groups may have as many as 3 adult males, but there is usually only one dominant male who is responsible for breeding (Nowak, 1999). Lion-tailed macaques are the only macaques in which males use calls to advertise their territorial boundaries (Nowak, 1999). Male macaques are territorial and generally give off a loud call to let entering troops know they are in the area. Two troups encounter one another, one usually moves away without any overt aggression. (Burton, 1995; Nowak, 1999)

Macaques have extensive patterns of communication, typical of diurnal primates. They rely heavily on vocal communication. "Lion-tailed macaques have 17 different vocal patterns and many types of body movements used to express communication" (Burton, 1995). In addition, visual communication (through body postures and facial expression), and tactile communication (in the form of grooming, play, mounting, and aggression) occur in macaques. It is likely that some chemical communication occurs, especially as pertains to advertizement of oestrus (Nowak, 1999). (Burton, 1995; Nowak, 1999)

Lion-tailed macaques are omnivorous but their diet consists mainly of fruit. They also eat a wide variety of vegetation such as leaves, stems, flowers, buds, and fungi. They occasionally eat meat from insects, lizards, tree frogs, and small mammals. These macaques obtain some of their water by licking dew from leaves. Lion-tailed macaques prefer to forage quickly for fear of predators. Their cheeck pouches enable them to quickly gather large amounts of food in times of danger. "When fully extended, their cheek pouches can store an equilivant to their stomach's capacity" (Burton, 1995). Macaca silenus feed from dawn till dusk, generally, on foods that are closest to their sleeping ground (Nowak, 1999). (Burton, 1995; Nowak, 1999)

It is likely that these animals fall prey to snakes, raptors, and larger carnivores.

Because of their frugivory and their ability to carry fruits in their large cheek pouches, it is likely that these monkeys play some role in seed dispersal. To the extent that they prey upon other animals, they may have some impact on prey populations. As prey animals themselves, lion-tailed macaques may have a positive impact on populations of their predators.

Lion-tailed macaques may raid agricultural fields and orchards and are sometimes shot as pests (Burton, 1995). (Burton, 1995)

Macaca silenus is hunted for its skin and meat. These animals are also used in the pet trade and for medical research (Burton, 1995). (Burton, 1995)

Lion-tailed macaques are affected by habitat loss due to the harvesting of firewood, timber, and other forest products for human use (Burton, 1995). They are also subject to inbreeding, resulting from having low numbers in the wild and different troops being separated in small forest fragments.

In the 1980s, efforts were made to increase the population. Macaca silenus was put on the Species Survival Plan. Because lion-tailed macaques breed well in captivity, there are now 500 lion-tailed macaques in zoos worldwide and the population can be increased dramatically (Burton, 1995). (Burton, 1995)