PROBOSCIS MONKEY

The proboscis monkey or Nasalis larvatus, is a type of long-nosed monkey with

bulging stomach. This animal is a native of Borneo that is often found in riverside,
mangroves, wetlands and coastal lowland forests in Brunei, Kalimantan (Indonesia), Sabah
and Sarawak (Malaysia). Proboscis monkey adult has reddish-brown fur around the head and
shoulders, and gray fur around the arms, legs, and tail. Their tails have the same length as
their body size.
Proboscis monkey’s face is red and they have brown eyes, and small ears. Physically,
male’s body is larger than female with a height of 75.5 cm and weight of 23 kg, while female
with a height of 62 cm and weight of 11 kg. The main characteristic of proboscis monkey is
their large nose that hang beyond their mouth. Male has large nose like proboscis expands
that make them so called proboscis, while female’s nose is not.
Male uses their large nose to attract female. Female prefers male with larger nose as a
partner. Their nose will swell and turn red when they are happy or angry. Proboscis monkey
also has a call that sounds like the car horn. Their calls sound very loud as warning when they
sense danger. Their nose serves as a resonator when they call. The other characteristic of
proboscis monkey is their bulging stomach. Their stomach has bacteria that help to digest the
leaves they eat and help to neutralize toxins in certain leaves. It has a weight of one-quarter of
their body weight and it makes them look like pregnant. Proboscis monkey
is diurnal or active during the day. They search for food in the morning, rest during the day,
and search for food again before evening.
Proboscis monkey is  frugivorous and folivorous. They consume unripe fruits, seeds,
leaves and sometimes insects. 95 % of the food they eat is mangrove tree leaves. They prefer
to eat the ripe leaves.
This species spends most of their time in trees by jumping from branch to branch.
They live in a group of between 10 to 32 monkeys and led by a strongest male. Their group
consists of an adult male, several females and their offspring. Young male of proboscis
monkey will leave the group where they were born at the age of 18 months. They will join a
group with all male. Proboscis monkey is not a territorial animal so that they can live together
in one place with another group of proboscis monkey. Proboscis monkey can swim well like a
dog because they have a membrane on the side lines of their toes. They are sometimes seen
swimming across the river and from one island to another. Proboscis monkey lives depend on
the habitat that borders the river and they usually do not move farther than 600 m from the
river or waterway. Proboscis monkey avoids open areas and human settlements. They sleep in
trees with thick branches that areabove the water to protect themselves from predators.

Name : Gilbert Ferdinand Alexantio

Class : 9.2
Subject : English