Animal Info - Pig-tailed Snub-nosed Monkey

(Other Names: Pagai Island, Pig-tailed Snub-nosed, or Pig-tailed Langur; Pig-tailed Monkey; Simakobu Monkey; Simakobu)

Simias concolor (Nasalis c.)

Status: Endangered

1. Profile (Picture)
2. Tidbits
3. Status and Trends (IUCN Status, Countries Where Currently Found, Population Estimates, History of Distribution, Threats and Reasons for Decline)
4. Data on Biology and Ecology (Weight, Habitat, Birth Season, Diet, Behavior, Social Organization, Density and Range)
5. References

Profile

Pictures: Pig-tailed Snub-nosed Monkey #1 (26 Kb JPEG); Pig-tailed Snub-nosed Monkey #2 (46 Kb JPEG) (Prim. Cons., Inc.)

The pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey weighs about 7 kg (15 lb). It lives in primary forest, where it is primarily arboreal, only descending to the ground when disturbed. Its diet consists mostly of leaves and some fruit and berries. Most observed social groups are small (3-8 monkeys). These may be harem groups with more than 1 adult female or a monogamous group consisting of an adult pair and its young. Groups containing about 20 individuals have been observed in primary forest. Home ranges of 3.5 - 20 hectares (8.8 - 50 acres) have been observed. (Davies & Oates 1994).

The pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey has only been recorded from the Mentawai Islands, off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. In 1987 it was thought to occur on Siberut, Sipora, Pagai Utara, Pagai Seletan, and a small islet near the Katurei Peninsula, Siberut. Reasons for its decline include hunting for food and habitat loss, mainly due to logging.

Tidbits

*** In 1974 the pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey was considered one of the 25 most endangered mammals in the world (Fitter 1974).

Status and Trends

IUCN Status:

1960's: Vulnerable
1970's - 1994: Endangered
1996 - 2004: Endangered (Criteria: A1cd+2c) (IUCN 2004)

Countries Where the Pig-tailed Snub-nosed Monkey Is Currently Found:

2004: Occurs in Indonesia (IUCN 2004).

Population Estimates:

[Note: Figures given are for wild populations only.]

WORLD (Indonesia (Mentawai Islands))
- Late 1970's: Maximum of 25,000 but probably much lower (Burton & Pearson 1987)
- 2003: Fewer than 10,000 individuals (IUCN 2004)

History of Distribution:

As of 1968 the pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey had been recorded only from the islands of South Pagi, Sipora and Siberut in the Mentawai Islands group, off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. In 1987 it was thought to occur in the Mentawai Islands on Siberut, Sipora, Pagai Utara, Pagai Seletan, and a small islet near the Katurei Peninsula, Siberut.

Threats and Reasons for Decline:

Reasons for decline of the pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey include hunting for food and habitat loss, mainly due to logging.

Data on Biology and Ecology

Weight:

The pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey weighs about 7 kg (15 lb).

Habitat:

It is found in primary forest.

The pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey is one of the species that live in the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot (Cons. Intl. 2005).

Birth Season:

Newborn young have been observed in June and July.

Diet:

The pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey eats mostly leaves and some fruit and berries.

Behavior:

The pig-tailed snub-nosed monkey is primarily arboreal, only descending to the ground when disturbed.

Social Organization:

Most observed social groups are small (3-8 monkeys). These may be harem groups with more than 1 adult female or a monogamous group consisting of an adult pair and its young. Groups containing about 20 individuals have been observed in primary forest. (Davies & Oates 1994).

Density and Range:

Home ranges of 3.5 - 20 hectares (8.8 - 50 acres) have been observed (Davies & Oates 1994).

References

Burton & Pearson 1987, Cons. Intl. 2005, Curry-Lindahl 1972, Davies & Oates 1994, Fitter 1974, IUCN 1968, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2003a, IUCN 2004, Macdonald 1984, Nowak & Paradiso 1983, Prim. Cons., Inc.

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Last modified: March 17, 2005;