Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)

Apr 02, 2023 Interesting Creatures in Guyana, News

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Kaieteur News – Known as the cows of the canopy, the proboscis monkey is the only primate with a plant based diet that can chew its cud, meaning that it is a ruminant animal with four stomachs.

A proboscis monkey feeding on some leaves.

Proboscis monkeys are native to the mangrove forests of the South East Asian Island of Borneo and have a very long and distinct looking nose when compared to other primates.

Male proboscis monkeys, according to scientists, use their fleshy, pendulous noses to attract mates. Scientists think these outsize organs create an echo chamber that amplifies the monkey’s call, impressing females and intimidating rival males.

These monkeys are a highly arboreal species and will venture onto land only occasionally to search for food. They live in organized harem groups consisting of a dominant male and two to seven females and their offspring. Various groups often congregate near water at night to sleep.

Proboscis monkeys are the primate world’s most prolific swimmers, frequently leaping from tree limbs and hitting the water with a comical belly flop. They have webbed feet and hands to help them outpace the crocodiles that are some of their main predators.

Among the largest of Asia’s monkeys, male proboscis specimens can reach 50 pounds, although females attain only about half that size. Adults wear a coat of light brown fur that turns red around the head and shoulders and gray at the arms, legs, and tail. Only males develop the namesake nose.

Proboscis monkeys survive mainly on a diet of leaves, seeds, and unripe fruits but will occasionally consume insects as well. They have complex, chambered stomachs that rely on a host of symbiotic bacteria for digestion.

When it comes to reproducing, females become sexually mature at the age of five years. They experience sexual swelling, which involves the genitals becoming pink or reddened. Mating takes place between February and November, while births occur between March and May.

Gestation usually lasts 166–200 days or slightly more. Females tend to give birth at night or in the early morning. The mothers then eat the placenta and lick their infants clean.

The young begin to eat solid foods within six weeks and are weaned at seven months old.

Source of information: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/proboscis-monkey

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Borneo, Interesting Creature, primates, Proboscis Monkey

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