The Tibetan macaque has a multimale-multifemale social system in which females remain in their natal group, but males disperse shortly after adolescence (at about eight years old) (5) (6). Macaque societies are hierarchical, with higher-ranking individuals getting better access to the resources, namely food and sexually-receptive females. As such, an alpha male (the highest-ranking male) dominates the group, and is typically fairly young (eight to nine years old) and strong. With age, the male's rank decreases, and there will always be challenges by others for the dominant position. Studies of Tibetan macaques at Emei Shan and Huang Shan, China, found the average tenure for an alpha male only lasted about one year. When troop size becomes quite large (in the 40 to 50 range) and competition grows over increasingly stretched resources, some individuals (males, females and juveniles) split from the main group to form a new, smaller group, known as 'fissioning', and move on to a different home range. Usually, it is the lowest-ranking individuals that will split from the main group (5). Females first breed at around five years of age (5). A single offspring is produced after 6 months gestation, with most infants being born in January and February (5) (6). Young nurse for a year, although they may continue to do so longer if their mother does not give birth again the following year. Males of the group may also be involved in 'alloparenting' care (5). This diurnal species spends most of its time on the ground, where it forages for leaves, fruit, grass and, to a lesser extent, flowers, seeds, roots and insects (5) (7). When available, bamboo shoots, fruits and leaves are particularly favoured (5) (8).

The Tibetan macaque is a large primate with a short, stump-like tail, a diagnostic feature of the species (4). The fur is brown on the back and creamy-buff to grey on underparts, with a prominent, pale-buff beard and full-cheek whiskers framing the hairless face (4). The bare facial skin is pale pink in males, and a more vivid, reddish-pink in females, particularly around the eyes (5). A long, thick, dense coat helps this species to cope with the cold environment at the high altitudes at which it is found (5). As with other macaques, cheek pouches are used to carry food whilst foraging (6). Infants have silver and black fur (7), which darkens with maturation, although the final colour can vary between anything from a pale, yellowish brown to a dark, brownish-black (5).

Macaca thibetana occurs in east-central China (Anhui, Fujian, southern Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, northern Sichuan, Tibet, northern Yunnan, and Zhejiang). It is found in China from 25-33°N, 102°30’-119°30’E; the range extends south into Guangxi at 23°48’N, about 110°E, and as far west as the Yangtze Gorge in western and north-western Sichuan (Groves 2001). Reports from Arunachal Pradesh, India appear to be based on misidentifications (S. Molur pers. comm.).

Found in east-central China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Tibet and Yunnan) and northeastern India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya) (2).

Type for Macaca thibetana
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Male;
Preparation: Skin; Skull
Collector(s): F. Smith
Locality: Kuatun, Fujian, China, Asia

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

This species occupies subtropical, deciduous and broadleaf evergreen forests, at between 800 and 2,500 m above sea level (2) (6) (7).

Maximum longevity: 27 years (captivity) Observations: One wild born female lived 25.2 years in captivity, though she was probably less than 27 years of age when she died (Richard Weigl 2005).

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species. 

 
There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
 

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Species: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1

Classified as Lower risk/conservation dependent (LR/cd) on the IUCN Red List 2006 (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Fights between adults, especially males, are a common source of injuries and occasionally death, and infants and juveniles also often fall victim to frustrated adults. Nevertheless, by far the most serious threat to the Tibetan macaque comes from humans. Habitat destruction, herbicide and pesticide poisoning, human transmitted diseases and illegal poaching have all had a negative impact on the survival of this species (5).

Conservation Actions

Tibetan macaques are protected by Chinese law (5), and are listed on Appendix II of CITES, limiting international trade in the species (3).