Macaque << muh KAK or muh KAHK >> is the name of a group of large, powerful monkeys. Some macaques weigh more than 30 pounds (14 kilograms). Macaques have a wider geographical range than any other monkey or ape. Most species live in warm areas of southern Asia. One species, the Barbary ape, lives in northern Africa. The snow monkey, also called Japanese macaque, lives as far north as Honshu Island, where snow falls in winter.
Most macaques have gray or brown fur, with pink or red skin on the face and rump. Some have long tails, and others have short tails or no tails at all. Males have long, sharp teeth that they use in fighting. Strong males rule most groups of macaques.
Many macaques live both in trees and on the ground. Most species eat fruits, grains, insects, and vegetables, but the crab-eating macaque eats crabs and clams.
The rhesus monkey, a macaque of India, was once widely used in medical research. India banned the export of rhesus monkeys in 1978 and since then their use in research has declined (see Rhesus monkey). People of Malaysia train the pigtailed macaque to pick coconuts from trees. Several species of macaques are threatened with extinction.
