crested black macaque
- Also called:
- Celebes crested macaque
- Related Topics:
- macaque
crested black macaque, (Macaca nigra), a mainly arboreal Indonesian monkey named for the narrow crest of hair that runs along the top of the head from behind the overhanging brow. The crested black macaque is found only in the Minahasa region on the island of Sulawesi (Celebes) and on nearby Bacan Island, where it was probably introduced by humans. Although sometimes incorrectly called an ape, the crested black macaque is a monkey belonging to the family Cercopithecidae.
Stump-tailed and covered with dark brown or black fur, its body is 55–65 cm (22–26 inches) long. Adult females weigh about 5.5 kg (12 pounds) and adult males nearly 10 kg. The long, flat muzzle is black and nearly hairless. Active during the day and primarily arboreal, this monkey feeds on fruit in its tropical forest habitat. Troops are large, usually numbering 20 or more, and each troop includes several adult males.
A closely related species, the Gorontalo macaque (Macaca nigrescens), lives just southwest of Minahasa, and at least five other species of macaques live in other parts of Sulawesi.
