Weight: 8 to 35 pounds depending on the sex and species
Head & Body: 15 to 31"
Tail: .39 to 26 inches, non-prehensile
Lifespan: 25 to 30+ years
In general, macaques are stocky with a well pronounced muzzle. They have well developed hands with an opposable thumb, and males are generally larger than females. Some of the most commonly kept species are listed here from smallest to largest:
CRAB-EATING or JAVA - pale yellowish brown to dark brown in
color, with the stomach being much lighter.
WEIGHT: 8 to 22 pounds
HEAD & BODY: 15 to 24 inches
TAIL: 15 to 26 inches
RHESUS - generally reddish brow with gray forearms and a light
stomach. Their face is a light flesh color.
WEIGHT: 10 to 30 pounds
HEAD & BODY: 15 to 24 inches
TAIL: 7 to 12 inches
STUMP-TAILED - Brown hair that becomes mixed with gray with
age. Their forehead becomes bald in adulthood, but the rest of the hair
on their head is long. Face is pink or red, and sometimes they have
freckles.
WEIGHT: 22 to 33 pounds
HEAD & BODY: 23 to 25 inches
TAIL: .39 to .78 inches (it is very small and with very little hair)
PIG-TAILED - Various shades of brown with a darker head, back,
and tail. Sometimes their eyelids are a light blue color.
WEIGHT: 10 to 35 pounds
HEAD & BODY: 19 to 27 inches
TAIL: 5 to 10 inches
CELEBES - Completely black with a very long face and prominent
eyebrow ridge. The hair on the top of the head are long and form a
crest when excited.
WEIGHT: 13 to 35 pounds
HEAD & BODY: 22 to 31 inches
TAIL: .39 to .78 inches
Gestation is from 162 to 176 days, usually resulting in the birth of one infant. Babies are generally nursed until they are 10 to 12 months of age, but they will start sampling solid foods prior to weaning. The infants will form strong bonds with the mother and others that are related to them. They usually reach sexual maturity by 3 to 4 years of age, but they are often not physically mature until 6 to 8 years of age.
They live in groups of six to fifty individuals with a hierarchy among males and females. Those with higher rank are often the center of the group, with the subordinate individuals avoiding contact with dominate ones to avoid fighting. They are very social, spending lots of time grooming each other. They are very protective of their young and other members of the group.
Macaques are very intelligent and large, and potentially dangerous. There is quite a bit of difference between an infant and an adult. Therefore, wood should not be used as the primary building material for their cage, because of their destructive nature. Cages should be built of steel framing and heavy chain link should be used. Larger species like the pig-tails or celebes should be housed in a solid steel or wraught iron cage that is bolted to the floor. A safety or double door entrance is important to prevent escape and a lock up area can be used to avoid having to go in with an adult animal.
As with all monkeys, macaques need a varied and healthy diet. A breakdown of their diet structure is: 80% commercial old world biscuit, 10% fresh fruit and vegetables, 5% browsing foods (leaves, plants and stems, seeds, nuts, grains), and 5% high protein treat.
The resource for this document is THE PRIMATE CARE HANDBOOK and can be ordered from the publisher, the Simian Society of America.
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