The Fear of Monkeys - The Best E-Zine on the Web for Politically Conscious WritingThe Pig-Tailed Macaque - Issue Twenty-One
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The Pig-Tailed Macaque: photo from Christian ArtusoThe Pig-Tailed Macaque is a medium sized Old World monkey who reaches a weight of 5-15 kg in large males and is found in the southern half of the Malay Peninsula (only just extending into southernmost Thailand), Borneo, Sumatra and Bangka Island. They are mostly found in rainforest up to 2000 meters, but will also enter plantations and gardens. They are buff-brown with a darker back and lighter lower parts of the body and their short tail is held semi-erect and reminiscent of the tail of a pig. They are mainly terrestrial but they also are skilled climbers. Unlike almost all primates they love water. They live in large groups split into smaller groups during the day when they are looking for food. They are omnivorous, feeding mainly on fruits, seeds, berries, cereals, fungi and invertebrates. There is a hierarchy among males, based on strength and among females, based on heredity. Thus, the daughter of the dominant female will immediately be placed above all other females in the group. The dominant female leads the group, while the male role is more to manage conflict within the group and to defend it. Sexual maturity is reached at the age of 3-5 years and gestation lasts about 6 months. A mother will give birth to one infant every two years. Weaning occurs at 4-5 months. They are Vulnerable because there is reason to believe the species has declined by at least 30% over the past 30-36 years due primarily by loss of habitat, which is very serious in many parts of its range. There is extensive loss of lowland forest in Malaysia and Indonesia to expanding oil palm plantations, as well as to logging and agricultural expansion. This species is also frequently shot as a crop pest and hunted for food.

   


I

By

Marc Carver

As we sit on the bus
My son playing on the IPod
me looking at the young mum
and the small boy who keeps staring at me.
and the black woman who lives around the corner.
"Damm I am dead," My son says.
"Dan, most people are dead their whole lives, they just don't know it."


Marc Carver has published about a thousand poems around the world but he gets the most enjoyment when he gets a call from someone who says they like his work. So on he goes.
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