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The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus, Linneaus, 1758) is one of the most endangered species of non-human primates. The lion-tailed Macaque is a habitat specialist inhabiting the climax evergreen rainforest of the Western Ghats in Southwestern peninsular India in the states of Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka. The Western Ghats runs along the western coast of India from north to south. The stretch of Western Ghats is divided by a 40 Km long gap at Palghat in the state of Kerala which divides the lion-tailed macaque population into two, one inhabiting south and another north of the Palghat gap. In many places however, the range is discontinuous resulting in demes that are totally isolated from one another. Never numerous, these macaques are today reduced to a population estimated to be less than 4000 individuals (1995)
This is one of the highly studied non-human primate species in recent years
The lion-tailed macaque is usually seen on high trees at 610-2000 mts altitude. It also occurs extensively in tea and cardamom plantations interspersed with strands of rain forests. It is diurnal in habit and the most arboreal of the macaques staying most of the time on the tree tops while feeding and resting . Lion-tailed macaque can be distinguished from other macaques by its medium sized long gray or brownish gray mane around its face and its striking black body. Its face is bare and black and is encircled, except on the forehead, with a large gray ruff. Its tail, which is 2/3 of its body length, has a small tuft at the end, which is highly pronounced in the adult males.
The adult male measures about 51.0-61.0 cm while the adult female measures 46.0-48.0 cm from the forehead to the end of the body. The tail length in adult male is 25.4-38.6 cm while in adult females it is 25.4-32.0 cm. An adult male may weigh up to 8.9Kg and female 6.1 Kg .
Dietarily lion-tailed macaques appears to be similar to other macaque species in consumption of flowers, buds, leaves, and fruits as a floral component. Species also includes a variety of faunal components in its diet, which include insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, bats, fawn of mouse deer and barking deer, and therefore it is classified as fruigivorous/faunivorous with bimodal dietary strategy.
The density of lion-tailed macaques is considerably high in fragmented habitats, whereas the density is low in large and contiguous complexes of rainforests The average group size is about 16.3 with a range of 6-53 individuals. The groups of lion-tailed macaques usually contain a single male. The ratio of adult male to adult female is 1:2.11 in fragmented forests and 1:4.8 in contiguous undisturbed habitats .
The lion-tailed macaques have a delayed sexual maturity, a long inter-birth interval, and hence a low net reproductive achievement. It appears that the key to understand adaptations in this species is the study of its reproductive processes and behaviour.
They have very peculiar characteristics when comes to its reproductive behaviour
Delayed Sexual maturity.
Long Inter-birth Interval.
Conspicuous Sexual Swelling.
Vocalization during follicular phase.
Multiple-mount to ejaculate system of mating.
Presence of usually one adult male in the group.
