Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Macaque behavior at the
human-monkey interface: The activity
and demography of semi-free-ranging
Macaca fascicularis
at Padangtegal,
Bali, Indonesia
A g u s t i n F u e n t e s , AIDA L. T. R o m p i s , I. G. A.
A r ta P u t r a , NI LUH W A T I N I A S I H , I . N Y O M A N
S ua r t h a , I. G. S o m a , I. NYOMAN W a n d i a ,
I. D. K. H a r ya P u t r a , R E B E C C A S t e p h e n s o n
a n d WAYAN S e l a m e t
Introduction
Macaca fascicularis
is an excellent species to examine adaptation to a par-
ticularly wide array of habitats and environmental variables, especially where
human impact is a core component of the landscape. Within the long-tailed
macaque species (
Macaca fascicularis
) there are at least ten subspecies, dra-
matic variation in facial hair patterns, and body size varies from 2.5-7.0 kg for
females and 4.7-14 kg for males (Gumert, Chapter 1; Fooden,
1995
; Napier
and Napier,
1967
; Rowe,
1996
). Despite their well-documented occurrence
and utilization of primary tropical rainforest (up to 2,000m elevation), the
long-tailed macaques appear to prefer riverine habitats, coastal forests, swamp
or mixed forests and secondary forest habitats (Crockett and Wilson,
1980
).
The ability to thrive in a variety of environmental types probably played a
role in this group's evolutionary success throughout Southeast Asia especially
during the last 5-8,000 years of human-induced (agricultural) environmental
change.
The island of Bali is approximately 5632 km
2
and has a rich history of vol-
canic activity and thus some of the most fertile soils in the world. There are
