The proboscis monkey is a species of anthropoid that lives in the remote jungles of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. It is a peaceful animal, whose diet is based only on shoots and leaves and moves by clinging to the lianas of the trees. They also swim very well, as well as being quite fast.
With its particular gigantic nose, it is an unmistakable monkey among so many species, in addition to a large, round belly, and tan-colored fur. Specifically, their physical features are where their distinctive traits hide.
In Supercurioso we are lovers of the animal kingdom and all the extravagances that it entails, so today we will delve into the peculiarities of the monkey with a big nose. Mainly, you will be interested to know that it is usually considered a strong candidate to be the ugliest animal in the world, but if you want to find out other facts just as curious, and even more, keep reading.
How is the monkey with the big nose?
The nasalis larvatus is a primate that is rarely seen, which is also known as the nasic monkey. Its main feature, as we mentioned, it is his long nose that hangs from his face, whose main use is for mating. Thanks to that, it is considered one of the ugliest animals in the world with great distinction.
It is a medium-sized animal, which presents sexual dimorphism, since the males, with their measurements of 66-76 centimeters in length and 16-23 kilos in weight, exceed 53-62 centimeters and 7-12 kilograms of the females. females. Likewise, the sexes differ in the size of the nose, with the male’s being the largest.
As for his body, the style of his coat varies greatly, especially in the area of the shoulders and the top of the head, where it is usually dark reddish. On the other hand, the tail and its arms and legs are gray, with quite light tones, with a dark brown back. The chest part usually has white or gray pigments.
Its habitat is the island of Borneo, extending through areas of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Also, it is usually sighted in the Sebatik, Pulau Laut and Berhala islands.
Interesting Proboscis Monkey Facts
1. A funniest name
Although proboscis monkey does not seem like a particularly funny name (if it is quite graphic of the type of animal it is), its Indonesian version may make you laugh, since it is also known as monyet belanda (“Dutch monkey'”). This is because the people of Indonesia it seemed to them that the Dutch settlers had an equally reddish “fur” and an equally swollen gut.
2. A day in the life of a proboscis monkey
Proboscis monkeys (nasalis larvatus) get up at sunrise after spending the night sleeping on tree branches to protect themselves from predators. During the day they only eat and do not stray far from their territory, which is usually near a river or watercourse.. As we mentioned, they are excellent swimmers thanks to the anatomy of their hands, spending a lot of time underwater.
After eating shoots and stems in the morning, the big-nosed monkey rests for the rest of the day. They are very calm animals, structured in groups of about twenty or thirty individuals, where there are several females per male.
An interesting fact is that, contrary to what happens with many other animal species, males do not fight each other. Indeed, the most dominant guards the group from the top of a tree and the females coordinate the movement of their partners.
While resting, the long-nosed monkey may engage in certain social behaviors, such as grooming each other for fleas. The cleaning between each one is only done by the members of the same group.
Shortly before nightfall, the group feeds again. As you can see, they lead a very quiet life without many complications. However, in the wild kingdom everything can change, so they are always on the lookout for any predator. In that case, the group instantly flees to avoid danger.
3. Does size matter in the proboscis monkey?
One of the first things that surprises when seeing a proboscis monkey, being its main feature, is the size of its nose, especially in males. It becomes so large that it hangs below their mouths.
The nose of these monkeys has the peculiarity of turning red when they get angry or excited. In addition, they can use it to create a characteristic sound that they use to warn of danger.
However, it is said that the nose of this type of monkey has increased so much in size because of sexual selection. In other words, the females prefer the males with whom they are going to mate with very beautiful noses because they are the ones that produce louder cries.
On the other hand, it is usual that the males that have the largest nose are also the ones that have the greatest physical prowess, accompanied by much larger testicles. In that sense, its aggregates act as a sign of its strength and ability to reproduce. The largest nose on record measured approximately 10.6 centimeters.
Likewise, possessing large organs allow the long-nosed monkey to have a greater reach when screaming, becoming the center of attention of the females. In the same way, it is an essential attribute in the habitats where they live, since the lush vegetation can hide their most extravagant parts.
4. The reproduction of proboscis monkeys
The females of this species of monkeys They have a gestation that usually lasts about 166 days. Normally, they go into labor at night or in the early morning, and the young they conceive do not have the reddish fur of the adults, but are born with a dark blue face. Similarly, it changes color after about four months.
The young stay with their mothers for a year, after which they move to a new group, or until they have a new young. During the time they are with their mother, curiously, she lets other members of the group hold the calf.
5. A bulletproof stomach
Another of the most striking physical characteristics of the nasalis larvatus is the size of its stomach. Specifically, It weighs a quarter of its body weight, which tends to be around 20 kilos in males and 10 in females.
It is so big because it contains a unique and interesting digestive system that allows proboscis monkeys to follow a diet based on leaves and occasionally fruit. Inside their huge stomachs lives a type of symbiotic bacteria that help them digest food more easily.
6. Endangered
Unfortunately, The proboscis monkey has been considered endangered since 2000. This is due to several factors. Although its predators are numerous and fearsome (such as crocodiles, pythons, leopards or eagles), the greatest danger to this species is humans.
First of all, humans are responsible for this species of monkey, which can only be found in Borneo, losing its natural habitat. On top of that, some unscrupulous hunters hunt it because it is considered a delicacy or for use in traditional Chinese medicine remedies.
In addition to the monkey with a big nose, do not miss…
If you have enjoyed knowing better the particularities of the proboscis monkey, youWe propose a series of articles that you will find equally interesting and will allow you to explore the most curious side of the animal world. Are you going to miss them? In addition, we also encourage you to read this collection of Animal Phrasesto become aware of its importance as a link with nature.
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