Crab-eating Macaque
Long-tailed macaques, also known as crab-eating macaques, are as curious as they are adorable! They have a taste for crabs, giving them their unique nickname, and love grooming each other. Grooming isn’t just for cleanliness—it’s how they make friends and keep social bonds. These monkeys are some of the most common primates in Southeast Asia.
In Kota Belud, Sabah, long-tailed macaques are a regular sight in the mangrove forests. Their diet in these regions includes a mix of fruits, crabs, and insects, which are abundant in the mangrove ecosystem. These macaques play an important role in keeping the ecosystem healthy by dispersing seeds from the fruits they consume.
Long-tailed macaques are incredibly adaptable and can live in a wide variety of habitats, from mangroves to urban areas. Their playful and social nature makes them fascinating to observe. They are known to be resourceful, often foraging near human settlements. As omnivores, their diet includes fruits, seeds, leaves, and small animals, helping in the seed dispersal of various plant species.
- Unique Feature: Grooming as social status
- Diet: Fruits, crabs, insects
- Habitat: Mangroves, rainforests of Southeast Asia