# Long-tailed Macaque (*Macaca fascicularis*) Long-tailed macaques are playful monkeys with long tails that help them balance in trees. They live in groups and love to swing from branch to branch, making them fun to watch! - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Crab-eating Macaque, Long-tailed Monkey ![Long-tailed Macaque](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Macaca_fascicularis%252C_Ubud_Monkey_Forest%252C_Bali%252C_20220822_1053_0059.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Macaca_fascicularis%252C_Ubud_Monkey_Forest%252C_Bali%252C_20220822_1053_0059.jpg) ## Appearance The Long-tailed Macaque has an olive-brown to reddish-brown coat with lighter undersides. It is easily recognized by its distinctive long, gray tail, which is often longer than its body, and a dark muzzle framed by cheek whiskers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Primates - **Family:** Cercopithecidae - **Genus:** Macaca ## Interesting facts - Their big cheek pouches can hold extra food, like a snack bag! - They often live in big social groups, sometimes with over 30 monkeys! - They're called 'crab-eating macaques' but eat many things, not just crabs! - Young macaques learn by watching adults, like how to open tricky foods! ## Special abilities - **Aquatic Agility:** Long-tailed Macaque can dive and swim adeptly because of their comfort in water, helping them find food or escape danger. - **Shell Cracker Skill:** Long-tailed Macaque can use stones as tools because of their clever hands, helping them open tough shellfish for a meal. - **Prehensile Paws:** Long-tailed Macaque has highly dexterous hands and feet that help them grip branches firmly and manipulate small objects. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 38-60 cm - **Weight:** 2.5-8 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-30 years - **Speed:** 25 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-2 - **Gestation:** 160-170 days ## Diet & Feeding An omnivore, the long-tailed macaque enjoys a varied diet of fruits, insects, small animals, and even crabs! - **Age differences:** Infants rely on mother's milk; juveniles learn foraging skills from adults. - **Primary Foods:** fruits, insects, crabs, leaves, small vertebrates, bird eggs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Reticulated Python](https://www.snappit.app/explore/reticulated-python) (*Python reticulatus*) — Large snakes are a predator, especially for young. - **Eaten by:** [Tiger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tiger) (*Panthera tigris*) — Large cats occasionally prey on macaques. - **Eats:** Fiddler Crab (*Uca annulipes*) — Hunts various crab species in coastal habitats. - **Eats:** Chinese Banyan (*Ficus microcarpa*) — Feeds on the fruits of fig trees in its habitat. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Tool Use](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tool-use): This trait describes organisms that manipulate external objects to achieve a specific goal. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Always watch macaques from a distance. They can be curious and may grab things if you get too close. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Long-tailed Macaque? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Long-tailed Macaque? 38-60 cm ### How much does Long-tailed Macaque weigh? 2.5-8 kg ### How long does Long-tailed Macaque live? 20-30 years ### How fast can Long-tailed Macaque move? 25 km/h ### What does Long-tailed Macaque eat? An omnivore, the long-tailed macaque enjoys a varied diet of fruits, insects, small animals, and even crabs! ### Where is Long-tailed Macaque usually found? Forests ### How does Long-tailed Macaque hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/folsom-city-zoo-sanctuary) — California, US · Zoo - [Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alameda-wildlife-conservation-park) — Gibraltar, GI · Zoo ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Long-tailed Macaque: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/long-tailed-macaque)