Yakushima macaque
Encyclopedia
The Yakushima Macaque is a subspecies of Japanese monkey which is indigenous to Yakushima Island (Kagoshima Prefecture
).
It is also known as the Yaku Macaque
.
Compare with M.f.fuscata which lives from Honshu
to Shikoku
and Kyushu
, Japan
, these individuals are smaller, stockier, have black hands and feet, and a thicker gray coat.
Adults have darker fur than infants and juveniles.
Adult males have a special feature called a “Momoware” (split peach) which parts their hair in the center from right to left.
Females bear a single offspring between March and May, every two years.
Troop size is generally less than 50 individuals.
There is genetic distance between the Japanese Macaque and the Yakushima Macaque more than 10 times that of the Japanese Macaque
.
The Yakushima Macaque population in Yakushima Island lies at the southern limit of Japanese Macaque's distribution. The current population is estimated to be somewhere between 9,504-18,890 animals, according to a survey completed in 1999.
and Tankan
orange crops for which Yakushima is especially noted.
The reason may be because the monkeys broadleaf tree habitat was decreasing due to logging and replacing the broadleaves with conifers.
Nowadays, Yakushima residents aim to coexist by protecting their crops with electric fences, rather than exterminating the Macaques.
A species of Japanese monkey also inhabited Tanegashima
, an island near Yakushima
, until the 1950s, when it became extinct. Whether those monkeys were Hondo Macaques or Yakushima Macaques is unknown.
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
).
It is also known as the Yaku Macaque
Macaque
The macaques constitute a genus of Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. - Description :Aside from humans , the macaques are the most widespread primate genus, ranging from Japan to Afghanistan and, in the case of the barbary macaque, to North Africa...
.
Characteristics
It has a body length ranging from 45 to 60 cm (17.7 to 23.6 ), with a tail length of approximately 5 to 10 cm (2 to 3.9 ). It weighs from 6 to 13 kg (13.2 to 28.7 ).Compare with M.f.fuscata which lives from Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
to Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
and Kyushu
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, these individuals are smaller, stockier, have black hands and feet, and a thicker gray coat.
Adults have darker fur than infants and juveniles.
Adult males have a special feature called a “Momoware” (split peach) which parts their hair in the center from right to left.
Females bear a single offspring between March and May, every two years.
Troop size is generally less than 50 individuals.
There is genetic distance between the Japanese Macaque and the Yakushima Macaque more than 10 times that of the Japanese Macaque
Japanese Macaque
The Japanese macaque , historically known as saru , but now known as Nihonzaru to distinguish it from other primates, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to Japan....
.
The Yakushima Macaque population in Yakushima Island lies at the southern limit of Japanese Macaque's distribution. The current population is estimated to be somewhere between 9,504-18,890 animals, according to a survey completed in 1999.
Damage caused by monkeys and electric fences
In the past in Yakushima, when food supplies for Macaques became short, the monkeys would encroach on human habitation and damage crops. 400-500 Yakushima Macaques were caught and exterminated every year due to the damage done to the PonkanPonkan
Ponkan – is a member of the tangerine family, but its fruits are the size of oranges. The fruit is round and around 7-8 cm wide in size.The city of Teresópolis in Brazil holds an annual Ponkan festival....
and Tankan
Tankan
Tankan , a shorthand for kigyō tanki keizai kansoku chōsa , is a quarterly poll of business confidence reported by the Bank of Japan showing the status of the Japanese economy. It is one of the key financial measures in Japan and has considerable influence in stock prices and the currency...
orange crops for which Yakushima is especially noted.
The reason may be because the monkeys broadleaf tree habitat was decreasing due to logging and replacing the broadleaves with conifers.
Nowadays, Yakushima residents aim to coexist by protecting their crops with electric fences, rather than exterminating the Macaques.
Protected Status
According to the Ministry of the Environment's Red List of endangered species, the Yakushima macaque was judged “a rare species” in 1991 and “a quasi-endangered species” in 1998. But it was removed from the list in 2007 due to an increase in population.A species of Japanese monkey also inhabited Tanegashima
Tanegashima
is an island lying to the south of Kyushu, in southern Japan, and is part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands....
, an island near Yakushima
Yakushima
, one of the Ōsumi Islands, is an island of about 500 km² and roughly 15,000 islanders to the south of Kyūshū in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The Vincennes Strait separates it from Tanegashima. The highest point on the island is Miyanoura-dake at 1,935 metres...
, until the 1950s, when it became extinct. Whether those monkeys were Hondo Macaques or Yakushima Macaques is unknown.
External links
- Naohiko Noma "Scientific value of the natural region of western Yakushima" Yakushima Open Field Museum Report