Friday, May 6, 2011

Bekantan - The Long-Nosed Monkey

bekantan - the long-nosed monkey
Bekantan (Nasalis larvatus), also known as proboscis monkey or long-nosed monkey is endemic to the south-east Asian island of Borneo. A distinctive trait of this monkey is its large protruding nose that can reach 7 inches in length. This large nose is only found in males. The females also have big noses compared to other monkey species, but not as big as the males. The big nose is thought to be used to attract females and also it serves as a resonating chamber, amplifying their warning calls. When they becomes agitated its nose swells with blood, making warning calls louder and more intense.
Males are much larger than females, weighing up to 24 kg and reaching 72 cm in length, with a tail of up to 75 cm in length. Females are up to 60 cm long, weighing up to 12 kg. The monkey has a large belly, a result of its diet. The diet consists mainly of seeds, leaves, fruits, and mangrove shoots.
The Proboscis monkey is endemic to Borneo's low elevation mangrove forests, swamps, and lowland riparian forests. One of the largest populations is found in the Danau Sentarum National Park, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia.
The Proboscis monkey's lifestyle is both arboreal and amphibious. Like other similar monkeys, Bekantan climbs well. It is also a proficient swimmer, often swimming from island to island.
The Proboscis monkey is endemic to Borneo's low elevation mangrove forests, swamps, and lowland riparian forests. One of the largest populations is found in the Danau Sentarum National Park, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia.
This species is assessed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and listed in Appendix I of CITES.
Source: Wikipedia

bekantan - the long-nosed monkey

bekantan - the long-nosed monkey

bekantan - the long-nosed monkey

bekantan - the long-nosed monkey

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