Rhesus macaque

This is a rhesus monkey.

They have brown or grey fur. Their faces are pink and have no hair.

These monkeys live in large groups. They are good at swimming across rivers. They like to eat fruit. They also eat seeds and roots. Some live in cities and eat human food.

They use faces and sounds to talk to each other. These monkeys are very special animals.

The rhesus macaque is a type of monkey.

They live in many parts of Asia. They can live in mountains or grassy fields. They are also good at swimming across rivers.

These monkeys live in large groups called troops. A troop can have 20 to 200 members. The groups are matrilineal. This means they are led by female family members.

Monkeys talk to each other in many ways. They use sounds and facial expressions. They also use body signs to share news.

Rhesus macaques eat many things. They mostly eat plants like fruit and seeds. They also eat roots and bark.

Sometimes they eat small bugs like ants or beetles. If they live in cities, they might eat human food or trash.

These monkeys are very helpful to science. Doctors use them to study medicine. This work helped make vaccines for polio and smallpox.

One rhesus macaque even became the first primate astronaut in 1948.

The rhesus macaque is a famous type of Old World monkey.

These monkeys are found in many parts of Asia. They live in South, Central, and Southeast Asia. They have the widest range of any non-human primate. This means they live in many different places. They can live in dry grasslands or green woodlands. They even live in mountains that are 10,000 feet high.

They are very good at living in different homes.

These monkeys have a very interesting way of living. They are diurnal, which means they are active during the day. They can live in trees or on the ground. They are also strong swimmers that can cross rivers.

Most of them eat plants like fruit, seeds, and bark. They might eat nearly 99 different kinds of plants. Sometimes they eat small things like insects or bird eggs. If they live near people, they might eat human food or trash. This helps them survive in many different places.

Learning about these monkeys has helped humans for a long time. Because they are similar to us, scientists study them.

This research helped create vaccines for polio and smallpox. It also helped make medicine for HIV/AIDS. One rhesus macaque even became the first primate astronaut in 1948. Scientists have also studied them in places like Puerto Rico. They live on islands like Cayo Santiago for research.

There are many different types of rhesus macaques. Some are called Indian rhesus macaques and some are Chinese.

Scientists have found many subspecies in different areas. For example, the Tibetan rhesus macaque lives in Tibet. The Indochinese rhesus macaque lives in places like Thailand and Vietnam. In Florida, there is a group of about 550 to 600 monkeys. These monkeys were brought there by a boat operator named Colonel Tooey. He released them around 1938 to be a tourist attraction.

Living in a group is very important for a macaque. They live in large groups called troops. A single troop can have 20 to 200 members.

These groups are matrilineal, which means they follow female family members. The monkeys talk to each other using many ways. They use facial expressions and loud sounds. They also use body postures and gestures to communicate. This helps the whole troop stay close and work together.

The rhesus macaque, known scientifically as *Macaca mulatta*, is a highly adaptable species of Old World monkey.

These primates are famous for their ability to live in many different environments. They possess the widest geographic range of any non-human primate. They occupy a vast territory spanning South, Central, and Southeast Asia. Because they can survive in such diverse locations, they are a key subject in many biological studies.

Physically, the rhesus macaque is built for movement across various landscapes. They are diurnal, meaning they are active during the daylight hours. They are also arboreal, living in trees, and terrestrial, living on the ground.

Their bodies are typically brown or grey with a distinctive pink, hairless face. Adult males are larger than females, averaging about 18 to 20 pounds and measuring roughly 20 to 30 inches in length. They possess a dental formula of 2:1:2:3 and have bilophodont molar teeth, which are specialized for grinding food.

Dietary habits for the rhesus macaque are quite flexible. They are mostly herbivorous, meaning they primarily eat plants. They consume an estimated 99 different plant species across 46 different families. This includes fruits, seeds, roots, buds, bark, and cereals.

During the monsoon season, they get much of their hydration from succulent fruits. If water is scarce, they may lick dewdrops from leaves or drink rainwater from tree hollows. They also occasionally eat insects, spiders, crabs, and bird eggs to supplement their diet.

Socially, rhesus macaques are very gregarious animals that live in large groups called troops.

A single troop can consist of anywhere from 20 to 200 individuals. These social structures are matrilineal, which means they are organized around female family lines. To maintain these complex groups, they use various methods of communication. They rely on facial expressions, vocalizations, body postures, and specific gestures to interact with one another.

Scientists categorize the species into several subspecies, generally split into Chinese-derived and Indian-derived groups. The Indian rhesus macaque (*Macaca mulatta mulatta*) includes subspecies like *M. r. villosus* from Kashmir.

The Chinese groups include the west Chinese rhesus macaque, the north Chinese rhesus macaque, and the Tibetan rhesus macaque. Other groups include the south Chinese, the Indochinese, and the *brevicaudus* subspecies found on Hainan Island. While many subspecies have been described, molecular differences are not always consistent enough to define them perfectly.

Because rhesus macaques are anatomically and physiologically close to humans, they have played a massive role in medical history. They have been used extensively in biological research to facilitate major scientific breakthroughs. This research helped lead to the development of vaccines for polio, smallpox, and rabies. It also aided in creating antiretroviral medications used to treat HIV/AIDS. Beyond medicine, they have even reached into space; a rhesus macaque became the first primate astronaut in 1948.

Interestingly, these monkeys have established colonies far from their native Asian habitats. In Florida, a population exists due to a tour boat operator named "Colonel Tooey" in 1938.

He released them to serve as an attraction for a "Jungle Cruise," but the monkeys were proficient swimmers and escaped. Today, there are an estimated 550 to 600 macaques in Florida. Managing these colonies is expensive, costing roughly $1,000,000 per year. Other research colonies exist on islands like Cayo Santiago in Puerto Rico, where they are used for scientific study in a controlled environment.