Gray snub-nosed monkey

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Gray snub-nosed monkey[1]

Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[2]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Rhinopithecus
Species:
R. brelichi
Binomial name
Rhinopithecus brelichi
Thomas, 1903
Gray snub-nosed monkey range
Synonyms

Pygathrix brelichi Thomas, 1903[3]

The gray snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi),

habitat loss.[2] Of the three species of snub-nosed monkeys in China, the gray snub-nosed monkey is the most threatened, with a total population thought to number fewer than 400 individuals.[5]

Description

Adults are covered with long, fine hair, generally grading from brown on its upper body to gray on its lower body, with a white patch between its shoulder blades.[6] Its head, neck, and ends of its limbs are black, except for a golden brow.[6] It has a golden chest, and chestnut fur on its inner knees and inner sides of its upper arms.[7] Its face is bare bluish-white skin, pink around the eyes and mouth, and has a shelf-like brow and reduced nasal bones, giving it a snub-nosed appearance.[6][7] Juveniles are shades of gray with patterns changing with age. Adult males are brighter colored than adult females, and have white skin on prominent nipples.[6] Size data is limited, but two adult male specimens weighed 14.5 kg on average, and an adult female specimen weighed 8 kg, with adult length excluding tail ranging from 64–73 cm, and tail length ranging from 70–97 cm.[6][7]

Distribution

The confirmed distribution range of the gray snub-nosed monkey is limited to the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in the Wuling Mountains in Guizhou province, China.[4] There is unpublished evidence that 20 individuals moved from the Nature Reserve to an adjacent community forest (Lijiadashan), and there are unconfirmed anecdotal reports of a population in Jinfoshan Nature Reserve.[2]

Habitat

Its habitat consists of

Betula spp.) trees.[6] It lives at elevations of 1,400–2,300 m in summers down to 570 m at times of heavy snow cover.[8] They are thought to utilize most of the available range of the nature reserve. The yearly rainfall in the area above 1,600 m elevation is above 2000 mm. Snow is common in the winter, with sub-freezing temperatures about five months of the year, though monthly mean temperatures are never below 0 °C.[6]

Behavior

The diurnal species is considered semi-terrestrial, primarily inhabits trees where available.[8] Locomotion includes a mix of "quadrupedal walking, climbing, leaping, semi-brachiation (tree-swinging) and occasional full brachiation."[6]

It feeds on a variety of young leaves, leaf and flower buds, bark, fruits, certain petioles (e.g. Fagus longipetiolata), seeds (e.g. Prunus spp. and Sorbus spp.), and insect larvae.[6] Seasonality of the forest means the monkey's diet changes seasonally as well; it may be 7% leaves in the first three months of the year, and 93% in the next three. Fruits and seeds can constitute 35% of the diet in July to September.[10]

Its social structure is based on small groups that band together into larger troops of up to 400 or more individuals, traveling, feeding and sleeping.[2] The groups typically have 5–10 members, comprising one dominant male and several females and their young.[6] There are also all-male bachelor groups of two to five adult or sub-adult males, which typically mill about the periphery of a troop.[6] The groups split into large or smaller bands seasonally.[2]

Conservation status

Though legally protected, the gray snub-nosed monkey is threatened seriously due to habitat loss from forest clearing,

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1986.[11] In 2018, Fanjingshan was designated a World Heritage Site composed of Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, Yinjiang Yangxi Provincial Nature Reserve, and a small area of National Non-Commercial Forest.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^
    OCLC 62265494
    .
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Long, Y.; Li, B.; Zhou, J.; Ren, B.; Garber, A. L. (2022). "Rhinopithecus brelichi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T19595A215621115. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Rhinopithecus brelichi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Common Names for Brelich's Snub-nosed Monkey (Pygathrix brelichi)". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  5. ^ .
  6. ^ . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  7. ^ a b c "Grey snub-nosed monkey photo – Rhinopithecus brelichi – G42086". ARKive. Wildscreen. Archived from the original on 2013-12-16. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  8. ^ a b c "Facts about Brelich's Snub-nosed Monkey (Pygathrix brelichi)". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  9. ^
    ISSN 0006-3207
    .
  10. . Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Fanjingshan Biosphere Reserve, China". UNESCO. August 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Fanjingshan UNESCO World Heritage Center". UNESCO. Retrieved 30 July 2021.