By Amanda Wheeler
Geographic Range
Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) are found in the countries of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and on the Gibraltar peninsula. (Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, 2000)
Biogeographic Regions:
palearctic 
(native ).
Habitat
(3936 to 6560 ft)
Macaca sylvanus is found in oak and cedar forests in Northern Africa. These animals prefer mid- and high- altitude forests as well as scrub forest and cliff habitats. The climate is hot and dry in the summer and cold and snowy in the winter. (David, 1985)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
temperate ; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
forest ; scrub forest .
Physical Description
(22 to 33 lbs; avg. 27.5 lbs)
(22.05 to 27.56 in; avg. 24.8 in)
Macaca sylvanus is a large primate which lacks a tail. Weights range from 10 to 15 kg. Lengths are typically between 56 and 70 cm. The coat is a silky grey-brown to grey-yellow and the face is a dark pink. Males are usually about 50% larger than females.
The dental formula is I2/2, C1/1, P2/2, M3/3 = 32. Barbary macaques have powerful jaws, long canine teeth, and check pouches beside the lower teeth that extend down the side of the neck. When the pouches are full, they contain an amount of food equivalent to the volume of the stomach. When foraging quickly, Barbary macaques can store food in the cheek pouches and retreat to safety. (Chris and Tilde, 1996; David, 1985)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: male larger.
Reproduction
Mating and birthing seasons may occur several times during a year, depending on conditions.
Barbary macaques have a promiscuous mating system. Females mate with all male members of the troop, so males can never be sure of paternity. Females remain within their natal group once they attain sexual maturity, whereas males disperse from their natal group. Becoming accepted into another group is, therefore, critical in the reproductive success of any individual male. (Nowak, 1999).
Mating systems:
polygynandrous (promiscuous) .
Reproduction may be somewhat seasonal, with births corresponding to highly productive seasons. Most young are born at night in a tree where the mother sleeps. The mother cleans the baby by licking it. Females give birth to a single offspring after a gestation of about 165 days, and twins are rare. During estrous the area that includes the anus and external genitalia becomes tight and can sometimes tear. Infants cling to their mother's hair immediately after birth and can support their own weight. Females probably give birth to one young every two years. Sexual maturity is reached between 2.5 and 4 years old in females and 4.5 and 7 years old in males. (MacDonald, 1985; Nowak, 1999; WRPRC, 2000)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous .
Young Barbary macaques are born well-developed, capable of supporting their weight and clinging to adult macaques. The mother cares for and nurses her young for approximately a year. Male troop members also tend to choose a single young macaque to care for, spending time grooming, protecting, and playing with the young. Because paternity in these troops is uncertain, the young they care for may not be their own offspring. (Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, 2000)
Parental investment:
precocial ; pre-fertilization (provisioning, protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: female, protecting: male, female); pre-independence (provisioning: female, protecting: male, female); extended period of juvenile learning.
Behavior
Barbary macaques spend a lot of time on the ground, but may climb when needed. They are active during the day. Maternal care gradually decreases as infants begin to move on their own. Males take part in the education of small infants and it is not uncommon to see a male carrying a small infant. Mother-daughter bonds last into adulthood. Mother-son bonds last until the son becomes sexually mature, at which time he will leave the natal group to travel alone, or will join another group. Adult-infant bonds involve a lot of grooming and staying in close proximity. Juveniles also bond with siblings, and when hierarchies are present, a female usually ranks below her mother and above her younger sisters. Males, on the other hand, loose their rank when they leave their troop.
A troop consisting of 7 to 40 individuals maintains a particular home range. This range is the "property" of the females that are the core of the troop. Home range size varies and is smallest when there is abundant food and little human disturbance.
Males establish a hierarchy based on the outcome of competitive interactions. This rank will change often as males age, or as males leave or enter the troop. Dominant males are generally those which do most of the mating, although all males in the troop may potentially mate with females. (Chris and Tilde, 1996; David, 1985; Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, 2000)
Key behaviors:
terricolous; diurnal ; motile ; sedentary ; social ; dominance hierarchies .
Communication and Perception
As in all primates, communication for these animals is complex and varied. Physical contact, through grooming, mating, and basic interactions between adults and young, is common, and is important to maintaining and communicating information about social bonds. Facial expressions and physical postures are some visual signals used in the communication of these animals. In addition, there are several vocalizations used by these primates. The role of chemical communication (through scents) is not known in this species, but is likely to occur.
Food Habits
Barbary macaques are omnivores, and have a diet of tubers, rhizomes, flowers, fruit, leaves, seeds, and invertebrates. During the winter when food is scarce, these animals forage for bark and evergreen needles. In Algeria, caterpillars are an important part of the diet in autumn, and acorns become an important part of the diet in spring. (Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, 2000)
Primary Diet:
omnivore .
Animal Foods:
insects.
Plant Foods:
leaves; roots and tubers; wood, bark, or stems; seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit; flowers.
Predation
- jackals (Canis)
- foxes (Vulpes)
- raptors (Falconiformes)
- humans (Homo sapiens)
Predators of wild Barbary macaques include jackals, fox, and probably raptors, as well as man. The social group provides protection against predators in that members are vigilant and warn others of danger and the troop may jointly drive off predators.
Ecosystem Roles
Barbary macaques are important nutrient cyclers and seed dispersers in the ecosystems in which they live.
Key ways these animals impact their ecosystem:
disperses seeds.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Barbary macaques may occasionally raid gardens or crops, though this is rare.
Ways that these animals might be a problem for humans:
crop pest.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Barbary macaques have been used in research. They are also important components of the wild ecosystems they inhabit.
Ways that people benefit from these animals:
research and education.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Vulnerable.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
Appendix II.
In the 1970s, estimates of Barbary macaques in the wild ranged from 12,000 to 13,000, 80% of which exsisted in the Moraccan Middle Atlas mountians. The wild population today is estimated at 20,000 individuals. Efforts to reintroduce Barbary macaques to areas in Morocco have have had mixed results . In Algeria, most of the population is protected in National Parks. (David, 1985)
Other Comments
Barbary macaques occurred through much of mainland Europe during the Pleistocene. There are currently several introduced, feral populations in Europe, one in southern Spain and one in France. A feral colony in Germany persisted there from 1763 to 1784, when it was deliberately exterminated. It is unclear whether Barbary macaques occur on the island of Gibraltar naturally or have been introduced there through human means. (Nowak, 1999)
Contributors
Amanda Wheeler (author), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Chris Yahnke (editor), University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.
Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
