Brenda Khan
Java macaques, also known as crab-eating macaques, are omnivorous animals that will eat almost any kind of food they can forage or catch. They are native to Southeast Asia, and their diet varies depending on their habitat and the availability of food. Crab-eating macaques are highly adaptable and can live in a wide variety of habitats, including human settlements.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Diet | Omnivorous, including fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, flowers, grass, herbs, shrubs, crops, insects, eggs, birds, rodents, small animals, and meat from shellfish |
| Dietary Variation | Influenced by habitat, with macaques adapting to available food sources |
| Foraging Behavior | Continuous throughout the day in short bouts, using tools like stone tools to open nuts and shells, and possibly washing/rubbing food before consumption |
| Provisioning | In villages, towns, and cities, crab-eating macaques scavenge from garbage cans and refuse piles, becoming unafraid of humans and directly taking food |
| Seed Dispersal | Act as seed dispersers for certain fruits, spitting out larger seeds |
| Synanthropy | Able to live off human resources, such as crops, and considered pests around farms and villages |
| Sacred Status | Held sacred in some Hindu temples and small islands |
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What You'll Learn
Fruits, berries, and seeds
Macaques are omnivorous frugivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter, but their diet consists mostly of fruit. Crab-eating macaques, for example, get 40% to over 80% of their diet from fruit, while provisioned populations may eat significantly less fruit and more human food. Macaques are highly adaptable and will eat whatever is available in their environment.
Crab-eating macaques are native to Southeast Asia, including the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, and have been introduced to several other islands, including Mauritius, West Papua, and Tinjil Island near Java. They live in a variety of habitats, including primary and secondary rainforests, shrubland, and coastal forests. They have also adapted well to human settlements and are considered sacred at some Hindu temples.
As their name suggests, crab-eating macaques do sometimes eat crabs and other crustaceans. However, this is not a major part of their diet. They also eat leaves, flowers, shoots, roots, and small animals, including birds, lizards, fish, and insects. Macaques are known to take food from garbage cans and refuse piles in human settlements.
Macaques are highly intelligent and are one of the few non-human primates that use tools. They have been observed using stone tools to crack open nuts, shells, and oysters. They also exhibit learned or cultural behaviour related to food preparation, such as washing or dunking fruit in water before eating it.
Macaques live in established social groups that can range from a few individuals to several hundred. These groups are organised around dominant matriarchs, with females maintaining stable, long-lasting ranks within the group. Macaques exhibit intricate social behaviour, such as removing food from a lower-ranking monkey's mouth if they have already eaten their share.
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Insects, eggs, and small animals
Java macaques, also known as crab-eating macaques, are omnivorous frugivores. They are highly adaptable and will eat almost any kind of food they can forage or catch. Their diet includes fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers, shoots, roots, invertebrates, and small animals.
Crab-eating macaques primarily survive on a diet of fruits and seeds, which make up between 60 and 90 percent of their consumption. They exhibit particularly low tolerance for swallowing seeds, but will spit out seeds larger than 3-4 mm. This is thought to be adaptive behaviour, avoiding filling their stomachs with bulky seeds that cannot be used for energy. In natural habitats, they have been observed to consume certain parts of over one hundred species of plants, including the buds, fruit, young leaves, bark, and fungi.
When plant matter is not available, crab-eating macaques will hunt and consume small animals, including birds, lizards, fish, and eggs. They will also eat various insects and earthworms. In human settlements, they frequently take food from garbage cans and refuse piles, and they have been known to take food directly from people. Crab-eating macaques are the only Old World monkeys known to use stone tools in their daily foraging. They use ax-shaped stones to crack open rock oysters, detached gastropods, bivalves, and swimming crabs. They also use tools to crack open oil palm nuts in abandoned plantations.
The long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), also called the crab-eating macaque, will supplement its diet with small amounts of meat from shellfish, insects, and small mammals. On average, a southern pig-tailed macaque (M. nemestrina) in Malaysia eats about 70 large rats each year.
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Flowers, leaves, and grasses
Java macaques, also known as crab-eating macaques, are omnivores. They have a varied diet that includes fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves, grasses, fungi, and small animals. They are highly adaptable and can survive on almost any food available in their habitat. Crab-eating macaques are native to Southeast Asia, and their range includes the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, as well as the Philippines and the Nicobar Islands.
Leaves are an important source of fibre and nutrients for Java macaques. They consume a variety of leaves, including those from trees, shrubs, and herbs. The macaques are selective about the leaves they eat and tend to choose those that are young and tender. Older leaves may be tougher and less nutritious, so they are often avoided. Java macaques have also been observed eating cassava leaves in human settlements, which can cause issues for local farmers.
Grasses provide a readily available food source for Java macaques, especially in open areas or grasslands. They consume grass blades and may also feed on grass seeds, which are a good source of protein and carbohydrates. Grasses tend to be more abundant during certain seasons, so their availability may influence the macaques' feeding habits and movements.
Flowers offer a sweet treat for Java macaques and provide them with energy and nutrients. They are attracted to colourful and fragrant flowers, which they pluck directly from the plants. The macaques consume the petals, stamens, and sometimes even the pistils and ovaries of the flowers. Some species of macaques have been observed washing or dunking the flowers in water before consuming them, possibly to clean off dirt or enhance their flavour.
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Crabs and other crustaceans
Crab-eating macaques, also known as long-tailed macaques, are omnivorous frugivores. Despite their name, crabs are not a significant part of their diet. In fact, only a few populations of crab-eating macaques actually consume crabs and other crustaceans.
These macaques primarily feed on fruits and seeds, which constitute 60 to 90% of their diet. They exhibit a particularly low tolerance for swallowing seeds, spitting them out if they are larger than 3-4 mm. This behaviour is thought to be adaptive, as it prevents their stomachs from filling up with bulky seeds that cannot be digested for energy. In addition to fruits and seeds, crab-eating macaques also consume flowers, leaves, shoots, roots, and small animals in varying quantities.
In their natural habitats, crab-eating macaques have been observed to feed on certain parts of over 100 plant species, including the buds, fruits, young leaves, and bark. They are considered a major seed disperser for certain fruits, such as durians. Crab-eating macaques are highly adaptable and can easily adjust to human settlements. In villages, towns, and cities, they often scavenge for food in garbage cans and refuse piles. They have also been known to take food directly from people, both passively and aggressively.
Crab-eating macaques are one of the few Old World monkeys known to use stone tools in their daily foraging activities. They have been observed using ax-shaped stones to crack open rock oysters, detached gastropods, bivalves, and swimming crabs. They also use tools to crack open oil palm nuts in abandoned plantations, showcasing their ability to take advantage of new food sources.
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Human food and refuse
Java macaques are highly opportunistic feeders and are known to consume a variety of human foods and refuse when living in close proximity to human populations. This behavior has earned them a reputation for being adaptable and resilient in a wide range of habitats, including urban areas.
In areas where human activity is prevalent, Java macaques frequently scavenge through garbage dumps, markets, and even directly from people, consuming a wide variety of human food scraps and discarded items. This can include items such as leftover meals, discarded fruits and vegetables, bakery items, sweet drinks, and even processed junk food like chips, candies, and cookies.
The consumption of human food waste can provide Java macaques with a
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Frequently asked questions
Java macaques, or long-tailed macaques, are omnivores. Their diet consists of fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves, grasses, fungi, clay, and small animals such as crabs, lizards, fish, eggs, and insects.
Java macaques are native to Southeast Asia, including the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, the Philippines, and the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. They are highly adaptable and can be found in a variety of habitats, including primary lowland rainforests, disturbed and secondary rainforests, shrubland, and coastal forests.
Java macaques are foragers and will take advantage of any food they can find in their environment. They have been known to use stone tools to open nuts and shells and may wash or rub their food before eating it. In human settlements, they may scavenge from garbage cans and refuse piles.
