Macaca pagensis

9. Pagai Macaque Macaca pagensis French: Macaque de Pagai / German: Pagai-Makak / Spanish: Macaco de Pagai Other common names: Mentawai Macaque, Pagai Island Macaque Taxonomy. Macacus pagensis G. S. Miller, 1903, Indonesia, South Pagai Island. M. pagensis was considered a subspecies of M. nemestrina until additional study led to the conclusion that it was a separate species. It was later considered a separate species from M. siberu based on deep genetic and morphological divergence. M. pagensisis a member of the silenus species group of macaques, including M. siberu, M. leonina, M. nemestrina, M. silenus, and the Sulawesi species. Monotypic. Distribution. Mentawai Archipelago (Sipora, North Pagai, and South Pagai, and on the Sinakak islet off the E coast of South Pagai). Descriptive notes. Head—body 53 cm (males) and 43-46 cm (females), tail 13-16 cm (males) and 10-13 cm (females); weight 6-9 kg (males) and 4.5-6 kg (females). The Pagai Macaque is similar to the pig-tailed macaques, except for its almost hairless tail and darker dorsal coloration. Fur is a non-agouti chocolate brown above, with a paler chocolate brown on the ventral side. Neck patches are ocherous buff, and cheek patches are absent. Tail is less than 35% of head-body length and is hairless except at the base. The Pagai Macaque is similar to the Siberut Macaque (M. siberu), but its coloration is lighter and its facial structure is not as broad. Habitat. Primary and secondary forest areas, as well as coconut groves near villages. Densities of Pagai Macaques do not differ significantly across most forest types. Nevertheless, they live at higher densities in logged forest than in unlogged forest, and their highest density is in forest logged 20 years ago. The Pagai Macaque was the most abundant primate species detected along line transect throughout the Pagai Islands. Mentawai forests are ever-wet rainforests, with annual rainfall of up to 4000 mm. Food and Feeding. The Pagai Macaque is primarily frugivorous, presumably similar to the Siberut Macaque.It eats coconuts, but only adult males are able to open them. Breeding. There is no information available for this species. Activity patterns. The Pagai Macaque is diurnal and terrestrial and arboreal. Vocalizations are heard in the early morning hours. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Pagai Macaques spend most of their time in the lower levels of the forest and on the ground. Group size is 5-25 individuals, and the largest group observed had two adult males. Groups typically split into smaller foraging groups during the day, but they move as one large group through coconut groves and primary forest. Pagai Macaques interact with two endemic colobines, the Mentawai Langur (Presbytis potenziani) and the Pig-tailed Langur (Simias concolor). Home range size is not known. Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List. In recent years, logging has decimated the habitat of the Pagai Macaque, and hunting has increased along with a burgeoning human population and because of improved access to remote areas due to logging roads and tracks. Bows and arrows have been replaced with rifles, and local rituals and taboos that formerly regulated hunting have been lost. Pagai Macaques are often poisoned or trapped and killed as crop pests. The most recent estimates of population density suggest 7-12 ind/ km? in suitable habitat on the Pagai Islands, giving a total of ¢.2100-3700 individuals (down from 15,000 in 1980). The pet trade may also be a threat to Pagai Macaques; they are kept and sold as pets on the Mentawai Islands. Mentawai macaque meat is considered unpalatable, but they are one of the easiest primates to catch because they can be caught by setting traps. They are frequently trapped because they are crop pests. While habitat disturbance appears to positively affect densities of Pagai Macaques, they are found in lower densities near human settlements. The Pagai Macaque is not found in any protected areas, but it does occur in some areas that have been suggested for protection (including Betumonga Research Area and the Sinakak islet, both of which were reportedly logged in recent years). All populations of Pagai Macaques are in urgent need of protective measures. It has been kept in zoos, but there is no viable captive population. Only 10-15% of the original forest cover remains on Sipora. An action plan, published in 2006, suggested the following conservation actions: protection of areas in the Pagai Islands by cooperating with a logging corporation that has practiced sustainable logging there since 1971; conservation education, especially regarding hunting; and the development of alternative economic models for the local people to reduce the likelihood of selling their lands to logging companies. Bibliography. Abegg & Thierry (2002a, 2002b), Fooden (1975), Fuentes & Olson (1995), Groves (2001), Kitchener & Groves (2002), Olson (1992), Paciulli (2004, 2010), Roos et al. (2003), Tenaza (1987), Whittaker (2006), Whitten & Whitten (1982), Wilson & Wilson (1976).Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Cercopithecidae, pp. 550-755 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 634-635, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.686706