Tattoo by Don (owner) at Art in Motion.
Golden snub-nosed monkeys are Old World primates that inhabit temperate mountain forests in parts of Asia. Primarily an arboreal (tree-dwelling) species, snub-nosed monkeys live in groups of over 600 members. They defend their territory with shouts and have a large vocal repertoire and have been seen calling alone and in groups in a choir-like fashion. During the winter when food is scarce they break off into smaller groups. Their diet consists of tree needles, bamboo buds, fruits and leaves. They have a multi-chambered stomach that helps them digest the roughage.
Little is known about these monkeys, which are considered ‘endangered‘ by the IUCN. It is estimated that there are between 8,000-20,000 left, but populations are declining at such a rapid rate that it has been difficult to obtain accurate numbers. They can be found in a number of protected areas including the Baihe, Foping, Shennongjia, and Wangland Nature Reserves.
The snub-nosed monkey is protected from trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Unfortunately, poaching continues to occur as body parts, thought to prevent rheumatism, continue to be used in traditional Chinese medicines. This, in combination with ongoing habitat loss and use of the animal as bushmeat, has placed these primates in a dire situation. A new species of snub-nosed monkey, which is so snub-nosed that even rainfall sends it into a sneezing frenzy, was recently discovered in Myanmar. Scientists were alerted to the monkey by hunters, and the first and only observed individual of this new species was killed by local hunters and eaten shortly after researchers examined it.
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