Zati
The bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata ), also known as zati, is a species of macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers, along with its related competitor the rhesus macaque in the north. Land use changes in the last few decades have resulted in changes in its distribution boundaries with the rhesus macaque, raising concern for its status in the wild.
The bonnet macaque is diurnal, arboreal, and terrestrial. Males have a head-body length of 51.5–60 cm (20.3–23.6 in) with a 51–69 cm (20–27 in) tail while females are 34.5–52.5 cm (13.6–20.7 in) with a 48–63.5 cm (18.9–25.0 in) tail. Males weigh 5.4–11.6 kg (12–26 lb) and females 2.9–5.5 kg (6.4–12.1 lb). It can live up to 35 years in captivity.
The bonnet macaque feeds on fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers, invertebrates, and cereals. In southern India, this macaque exists as commensal to humans, feeding on food given by humans and raiding crops and houses.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Om
OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
Ar
ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Zo
ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
No
NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
Sc
ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Po
PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
So
SocialA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
Highly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
B
starts withThis Old World monkey is endemic exclusively to India. The Bonnet macaque is so called because of exhibiting a cap-like coil of fur on its head that points outward from the center. The overall coloration of this animal is dusky brown to golden yellow with red face as well as black ears and lower lip.
The Bonnet macaques are distributed throughout southern India in a territory, restricted to the Indian Ocean on three sides as well as the Godavari and Tapti Rivers. In the north, their range overlaps with that of related Rhesus macaques, with which these animals compete. Suitable habitats for this species are evergreen high forests and dry deciduous forests of the Western Ghat Mountains. Additionally, Bonnet macaques may occasionally be observed travelling into dry prairies.
Although the Bonnet macaques are able to live both on the ground and in trees, they usually spend much of their time on the ground. These macaques are generally diurnal animals. These highly social creatures form groups of 30 individuals on average, consisting of multiple males and females. When reaching maturity, males usually leave to find another group, whereas females continue living with their natal troop, gathering into sub-groups of related individuals. Social grooming is an important part of their daily life, enhancing interpersonal relationships and help them settle down conflicts. Meanwhile, this activity is not a one-way social behavior, where subordinate animals serve dominant ones, as in many primate species. Instead, all individuals take part in it, and dominant males of this species spend even more time grooming group members than do young males. Another common activity in Bonnet macaques is male-male mounting, often with dominant males mounting juveniles.
Bonnet macaques are omnivores, they generally feed upon fruits, nuts, cereals, seeds, leaves, berries, flowers and foliage, supplementing this diet with bird eggs and various invertebrates.
Bonnet macaques are polygynandrous (promiscuous) with both males and females having multiple partners. The breeding season largely depends on location. However, most breeding occurs in September-October. Gestation period lasts for 24 weeks on average, yielding a single baby, which remains close to its mother for 6 - 12 months. During this period, the female carries the baby either on her back or in her arms, nursing the infant for 6 - 7 months. Even after weaning, the young macaque is unable to provide itself with food and doesn't leave its mother until about 1 year old, by which time it has learnt to forage independently. The process of puberty in males is associated with full testicular enlargement, which takes 1 - 2 years, beginning at 3 years old and lasting until 4 - 5 years old. Females of this species are usually mature at 3 years old and are ready to produce offspring at 4 years old.
In some parts of their range, Bonnet macaques are hunted and sold for research and road shows. Those in agricultural and urban areas come into serious conflicts with humans, which pose another threat to this species.
This species is locally abundant. As stated by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the four southern states of India hold about 170,000 Bonnet macaques. The population in Tamil Nadu is estimated to approximately 16,000 animals. Overall, Bonnet macaques are currently classified as Least Concern (LC), but their numbers are decreasing.
Due to their frugivory diet, these animals act as important seed dispersers of their forest habitat.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...