Burmese snub-nosed monkey, Black snub-nosed monkey
The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri ) is a critically endangered species of colobine monkey discovered in 2010 in northern Burma (Myanmar). It was formally described as a novel species of primate in 2011 based on its fur, beard, and tail. Two groups of the species were discovered in China in 2011 and 2015, respectively.
The species is known in local dialects of Lisu people as mey nwoah and Law Waw people as myuk na tok te, both of which mean "monkey with an upturned face". Rain allegedly causes it to sneeze due to the short upturned nasal flesh around its nostrils. People from the area report that it sits with its head directed downwards, hiding its face between its knees when it rains.
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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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...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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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 ...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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Highly socialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
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Altitudinal MigrantAltitudinal migration is a short-distance animal migration from lower altitudes to higher altitudes and back. Altitudinal migrants change their ele...
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starts withThe Myanmar snub-nosed monkey's fur is mostly black. Its crown consists of a thin, high, forward-curved crest of long, black hairs. It has protruding white ear tufts, a mostly naked face with pale pink skin, a "moustache" of whitish hairs above the upper lip, and a distinct white chin beard. The perineal area is white and clearly defined, and the limbs are mostly black; the inner sides of the upper arms and upper legs are blackish brown. The lips are prominent, and the nose upturned, allegedly causing the animal to sneeze in rainy weather.
As in other snub-nosed monkeys (members of Rhinopithecus ) there is distinct sexual dimorphism with males having relatively larger bodies. Their tails are relatively long and normally approximately 1.4 times their body length. The first found specimen, an adult male, has a height of 55.5 cm (21.9 in), and a tail of 78 cm (31 in) long.
When first discovered, the only known specimens of this species existed in three or four groups in the eastern Himalayas, in the north-eastern section of Kachin State, the northernmost part of Burma (Myanmar). In 2011, a population was discovered in Pianma, Lushui County, Yunnan, China. These snub-nosed monkeys spend summer months in temperate mixed forests at upper altitudes of their range and descend to lower ground in the winter to escape the snow.
Little information is known about Myanmar snub-nosed monkeys’ habits. In contrast to other snub-nosed monkeys which are mostly ground dwellers, Myanmar snub-nosed monkeys are highly arboreal and spend much of their time on trees. Generally, snub-nosed monkeys live in very large groups, splitting up into smaller groups in times of food scarcity, such as in the winter. Their groups consist of many more males than females. They are territorial and defend their territory mostly with shouts. Snub-nosed monkeys have a large vocal repertoire, calling sometimes solo while at other times together in a choir-like fashion.
The mating system and reproductive behavior of this species is yet unknown.
The main threats to the small extant population of the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey include deforestation due to logging operations, isolation, and hunting by local humans for food.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey is 260-330 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
