How Tall Do Snow Monkeys Get?
Snow monkey is the common name for the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata), given them from the fact that no other monkey species on Earth lives as far north. Biologists prefer to measure the length rather than height of monkeys because they mostly move about on all fours, and the snow monkey can reach up to 2 feet tall from the foot to the top of the head in this position. They have only stubs for tails.
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Differences
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Male snow monkeys are much larger than females. Females rarely grow more than 2 feet in length, while males can grow to 4 feet.
Season
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Snow monkeys have longer fur in the winter than in the summer. The 4- to 5-inch-long winter coat may give the snow monkey the appearance of being larger than it really is.
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Maturity
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Male and female snow monkeys reach their full size when they are between 3 and 4 years old.
Varieties
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The largest and heaviest snow monkeys are found in the southernmost regions of Japan. They are part of a separate subspecies, Mucaca fuscata yakui, but they are still considered snow monkeys.
Captivity
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Even in captive conditions where food is easily available, snow monkeys do not grow any taller, although they do get heavier.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons
