Southern pig-tailed macaque

Southern pig-tailed macaque(Macacus nemestrinus)     

Phylum —chordata
Class — mammalia
Order — primates
Family — cercopithecidae

Genus – macaca

Appearance

Southern pig-tailed macaquecan reach a weight of up to 15 kg (33 lb) for large males. This macaque has buff-brown fur, with a darker dorsal area and lighter ventral area. Its common name refers to the short tail held semi-erect, resembling the tail of a pig.

Length: male – 78 cm, female – 66 cm.

Habitat

It lives in southern Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Behavior

Southern pig-tailed macaqueis mainly terrestrial, but also a skilled climber. Unlike almost all primates, these macaques love water. They live in large groups that split into smaller groups during daytime when they are foraging.

There is a hierarchy among males, based on the strength, and among females, based on heredity. Thus, the daughter of the alpha female will immediately be placed above all other females in the group. The alpha female leads the group, while the male role is more to manage conflict within the group and to defend it.

Diet

Southern pig-tailed macaquesare omnivorous, feeding mainly on fruits, seeds, berries, cereals, fungi, and invertebrates.

Reproduction

Female gestation lasts around 5.7 months. She will give birth to one infant every two years. Weaning occurs at 4–5 months. Sexual maturity is reached at the age of 3–5 years.

Incaptivity

Pig-tailed macaques have an average lifespan of about 26 years.

Pig-tailed macaquesare very intelligent animals. They are probably the smartest among macaques. In addition, they are easily tamed.

Conditions for keeping macaques are not much different from those for keeping monkeys, but the bars in the cage should be thicker, and trees and other decorations and shelves in the cage should be strengthened more thoroughly, since macaques are physically stronger than monkeys. The cage should have ropes, toys, and a place to sleep, feeders, drinkers.

The pallet should be extended, and there should be a grid above it, so that the baby does not get dirty. It is convenient to put a disposable, waterproof diaper (baby) in the tray, top with powder (odor absorber), wood filler on the powder.And then when you come home, no one will guess that you keep a monkey.

It`s easy for macaques to live in captivity.Being young they are very funny and more often than other monkeys are kept as pets.

It is very important for monkeys to diversify their environment. They should not be left "idle" for a long time, because otherwise the monkey may develop bad habits and aggressive behavior during the period of maturity. It is necessary to put in pieces of hay, grass, branches of trees of various carocci, safe toys. It is very useful in the morning to scatter a handful of sunflowers, oats, wheat, corn, and barley on the floor of the cage (it is good if the grains are slightly sprouted).In general, in order to entertain their monkey good owners will have to use their imagination.

Communication with your pet is probably the most important point. The monkey will learn what you will show it and explain. Don't expect her to pick up a cup and drink from it right away. It takes a lot of time. At first, it will spilleverything on itself, on you, on your favorite furniture, but at the moment when it will be able to drink on its own, you will feel like the happiest person. In general, everything you teach your pet will be your pride. But this requires patience, patience, and again patience. You should be in  contact with your pet, training should be a joy for it. This is the only way to teach your pet a lot.

While the macaque is out of the cage, it needs to wear diapers, having previously smeared the ass with cream under diapers, so that it feels comfortable and does not experience discomfort. If the macaque is taught to wear clothes since childhood, this will not cause it any further trouble, and you will be able to take your pet with you outside. Macaques are very sensitive to drafts, so we recommend that you dress your pet warmly while walking.

The captive macaques carry easily, and their reproduction does not have any particular difficulties. If a couple of mature macaques live in the house, then they will probably have cubs and the owners will witness an increase in the family. It is a great pleasure to watch the parental behavior of monkeys and the development of their young. Before and after their childbirth, you should try to create a calm environment for the monkeys, not allowing outsiders to the cage of monkeys, without teasing the female and male. You should be very caring towards to a female giving birth to its child, there must be clean boiled waterin its room.

 

Macaque diet (recommended by a primate specialist):

kg / 1 head / day

Vegetable feed

Crackers, wheat bread 0.02 Alternate

Bran, various cereals (Fig., millet, buckwheat, oatmeal, gerku-forest, etc.) 0.20 alternate

Legumes (peas, beans) 0.03 h / d

Grain (corn, etc.) 0.05 h / d

Oilseeds (nuts, sunflowers, etc.) 0.05 alternate

Total: 0.31

Vegetables and green food

Carrots 0.30

Cabbage 0.15

Potatoes 0.20

Beetroot, salad 0.05 Alternate

Onion or garlic 0.05 alternate

Tomatoes 0.10

Cucumbers 0.10

Zucchini 0.20

Pepper 0.10

Pumpkin 0.20

Radish 0.05 or 1 bunch

Parsley, dill 0.10

Total: 1.60

Melons: watermelon, melon 0.4

Fresh fruits, berries 0.4. Can be replaced with melons by 42% more to issue, if not replaced-dried fruit 50% from the norm of fruit or canned compotes in jars 100% servings of fruit

Vegetable oil 0.005

Total plant feed: 2.715

 

Name of feed Quantity:

kg / 1 head / day note

Animal feed

Meat, liver, chicken, fish 0.10 alternate

Chicken egg or

quail (PCs.) 0,05

3 2 times / week

Milk for acidophilus 0.1 h / d

Cottage cheese 0.05 h / d

Protein supplements 0.002

Total animal feed: 0.1913

Other feeds

Honey, jam, syrups 0.01 alternate

special feed and other compound feed 0.03 daily

Salt 0.004

Total feed: 2.9503

 

The structure of a diet, %:

Concentrated feed – 17.6

Juicy feed – 75.0

Animal feed – 6.7

Vitamin and mineral feed and additives–0.7

Energy value of the diet, kcal–1466.07

 

The content of nutrients in the diet, %:

Raw protein; raw fat; raw fiber; raw ash; Calcium mg%; Phosphorus, mg%; Sodium, mg%:

2.91; 2.48; 1.11; 0.86; 38.63; 71.45; 21.45

 

Note:

1. Green feed is given in excess of the diet during the period of receipt of plenty.

2. Probiotics are given 2 times a year (in spring and autumn) for 1 month at 8 doses daily.

3. Vitamin feeds (yeast, rosehip syrup, fish oil, etc.),

4. Medical preparations and vitamins are given at the discretion of the zoo technician and veterinarian, depending on the biological state of the animals, the time of year, etc.

5. When a group of animals is kept, the ration increases to 50% of the indicated amount due to the ability of the animal to approach the feed only in accordance with the hierarchical position in the group.

6. When issuing feed, the physiological state of animals (breeding period, disease, pregnancy, lactation, etc.) and if necessary, the ration is reduced or increased to 50% of the specified.

7. At 2 months of age, the young when the content of a female is issued 50% of normal adult animal, and with a 6-month – ration of an adult animal.

8. Сompound feed for monkeys can be replaced with Hercules-10.0 g, milk powder-10.0 g, baby dry mix-10.0 g.

 

Daily supplements of vitamins and trace elements:

vitamin A 1000 IU;

vitamin E 10 IU;

vitamin C 100 mg;

folic acid 200 mcg;

vitamin B1 1 mg;

vitamin B2 1 mg;

nicotinamide 8 mg;

vitamin B6 1 mg;

vitamin B12 6 mcg;

vitamin D 200 IU;

Biotin 10 mcg;

pantonenic acid 5 mg;

calcium (dibasic calcium phosphate) 500 mg;

phosphorus (dibasic calcium phosphate) 200 mg;

iodine (potassium iodide) 15 mcg;

iron (iron fumarate) 10 mg;

magnesium (magnesium oxide) 10 mg;

copper (copper oxide) 0.5 mg;

zinc (zinc oxide) 1.5 mg;

potassium (potassium chloride) 20 mg;

manganese (manganese sulfate) 1 mg;

chloride (potassium chloride) 3.63 mg;

chromium (chromium chloride) 10 mcg;

molybdenum (sodium molybdate) 10 mcg;

selenium (sodium selenate) 10 mcg;

vitamin K1 10 mcg;

Nickel (Nickel sulfate) 1 mcg;

tin (tin chloride) 3 mcg;

silicon (sodium metasilicate) 3 mcg;

vanadium (sodium metavanadate) 3 mcg.