Rhesus monkey << REE suhs >> is a familiar and widespread monkey of Asia. The rhesus monkey is also called the rhesus macaque. It lives across southern Asia and as far north as northern China. Among primates (the order of mammals that includes monkeys, apes, and human beings), only human beings have a wider range.
The rhesus monkey has brown to gray fur with yellowish markings. Its face and rump are pink. Adults measure from 18 to 25 inches (46 to 64 centimeters) long, not including the tail. The tail is typically about half as long. Adults weigh from 10 to 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kilograms) or more. Males are generally larger than females.
Rhesus monkeys have adapted to life in many environments. They live in deserts, swamps, and mountain forests. They spend much of the day collecting food. Their diet consists mostly of fruit, insects, and leaves.
Rhesus monkeys live in groups that can range from one dozen to several dozen individuals. The group’s activities are organized around several older females. Kinship with these females strongly influences rank within the group. High-ranking individuals strictly enforce the privileges of rank, such as access to preferred foods. Upon reaching sexual maturity, young males leave to join another group. High-ranking males often father more offspring than lower-ranking males.
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Rhesus monkeys are easily bred in captivity. They suffer many of the same or similar diseases as do people. For these reasons, scientists use rhesus monkeys more than any other nonhuman primate in the study of human disease. Rhesus monkeys and human beings share about 93 percent of their DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA is the substance that determines a living thing’s inherited traits. In 2007, scientists mapped out the rhesus monkey’s genome, the complete set of its DNA.
