Baby Macaque

The Sulawesi Crested Macaque.


Macaques are a group of monkeys which sleep and find refuge up in the trees, but also spend a lot of time foraging on the ground for a wide variety of fallen fruits and small animals. They are true omnivores - meaning they eat both animal and vegetable foods.

Primate means 'those that are first in rank' - a name given by Carl Linnaeus in 1778, the Swedish father of scientific or Latin names for animals and plants.

Most primates are adapted for climbing in trees. They have an opposable thumb and a large first toe that enables them to grasp onto branches and objects. Their eyes face forward allowing them three dimensional vision -important for judging distances: vital when jumping from branch to branch. Most are day foraging animals and are able to identify and distinguish the ripeness of edible fruits; by colour.