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48 LONG-TAILED MACAQUES (Macaca fasicularis)
Also known as the Crab Eating macaque, this monkey is commonly found along the coasts of Thailand, often inhabiting mangrove swamps on the fringe of thicker forest like those around our centre. It can be distinguished by its tail which is about the same length as its body. The colouration of this species is very variable and influenced by many factors including the maturity of the individual, location in the country, season, and distance from the sea. 'Crab-eating' refers to their consumption of small crustaceans found around the mangroves to supplement an otherwise potentially limited diet of leaves, fruit and insects. They are proficient swimmers and can even dive underwater for short periods. Long tailed macaques are highly social and live in large groups in the wild comprised of animals of all ages.
1 PIG-TAILED MACAQUE (M. nemestrina)
The Pig -Tailed macaque is frequently kept in captivity in Thailand for collection of coconuts. Males, especially, are noticeably stockier in build than other varieties of macaque. Again thes monkeys tend to live in large troops that roam through the forest in search of food. The tail is around a third of the length of the body and its carriage differs between individuals. Although short it is still thought to be useful for arboreal activity. These macaques are very expressive in their facial expressions and body language and utilise the medium of 'postural-visual' communication extensively. They are used preferentially in scientific research and one was even sent into space.
1 STUMP-TAILED MACAQUE (M. arctoides)
Stump tailed macaques are heavy-set omnivorous monkeys with grizzled brown fur and an often markedly red face that can change shade under hormonal and seasonal influences. As their name suggests, their tails are just rudimentary stumps. This reflects their terrestrial lifestyle and ground-foraging activities in the upland forests of Thailand. They only tend to climb to find safe places to sleep. Like the other macaques they live in large troops that migrate between territories over the course of the year. They have a reputation for aggressive and noisy behaviour.
14 WHITE-HANDED GIBBONS (Hylobates lar)
Gibbons are small, lesser apes that are almost exclusively arboreal. They have very long arms which allows them to brachiate efficiently, using their own momentum, through the tree canopies of their natural habitat. This species of Gibbon is widely distributed throughout SE Asia. They are dimorphic in colour and can be anything from almost black through to a pale cream, but every individual will have white (or buff) fur on their hands, feet and framing their face. The different colours are not related to age or sex, however and family groups will contain a mixture. The song of the gibbon can be heard from up to 2km away. Female white-handed gibbons sing in a long wail, rising irregularly through 2 octaves. Gibbons feed on a variety of fruits, leaves, shoots, flowers and occasionally insects. Females usually give birth to a single young, the gestation period being about 7 months. Young gibbons take 6 to 8 years to mature.
3 PILEATED GIBBONS (H. pileatus)
This species has a much more restricted distribution in Thailand than Hylobates lar, being mainly found in the North East. Unlike the White-handed gibbon, Pileated gibbons are sexually dimorphic in colour. Babies of both sexes are uniformly buff coloured until 4-6 months of age when the hair on the stomach and crown turns black. Males become completely black by 4 years and females by around 2 years of age. The females then change again, though, and return to the beige colouration of a young individual with the retention of dark patches on the crown and belly. Pileated gibbons can sometimes be found in the same areas as the White-handed variety and hybrids have been reported. The call of the Pileated gibbon is unique, as are the calls of all the different species. It is described as a 'bubbling' noise and is made by the males and females. Like other gibbons they exist in family groups in the wild consisting of an adult pair, juveniles and sub-adults usually totalling little more than 6 animals.
3 SLOW LORIS (Nycticebus coucang)
Slow Lorises are small, tree-dwelling primates that weigh between 1 and 2kg when fully grown. They are nocturnal and feed on insects, birds, small mammals and lizards as well as fruit, nectar and pollen. As their name suggests, they move around slowly, moving only one limb at a time. They have a black stripe on their back which when they move, undulates and is said to look like a snake. They are also capable of lunging at their prey with speed when required. During the daytime they sleep in tree forks or clumps of branches. The best way to spot them at night is to shine a torch into a tree and look out for the reflection of their enormous, round eyes. They are usually solitary animals, the single young remain with their mother for 6 to 9 months. They are found throughout mainland SE Asia, Sumatra and Borneo.
1 MALAYAN PORCUPINE (Hystrix brachyura)
This large porcupine inhabits all types of forest in many parts of south-east Asia. It is terrestrial and burrows extensively. It is primarily nocturnal emerging at dusk to forage for roots, bark and fruit on the forest floor which it can gnaw with its large, powerful incisors. The front part of its body is covered in short brown spines that give way to long quills. Some of these sharp, hollow spikes are attached in the form of a rattle around the tail area which can be used to indicate annoyance and give warning before an attack is made. The Malayan porcupine gives birth to one offspring on average at each parturition and individuals have been recorded in captivity having reached almost 30 years of age.
Visit our gallery to see more photos of our animals and click here to see the area (updted August 2005).