Golden Monkey

Group Members: Bliss Montemayor, Serena Luu, Vanessa Nuanes

• Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys are endemic to the mountainous forests of central and Southwest China. 
• Males have long canines and have golden guard hairs. They have light blue faces (that does not mean they're lacking oxygen).
• The females look alike except their nipples are easily visible. Subadult females are usually smaller in size. 
• Juveniles are quite small and their body is a light brown and turns reddish gold gradually. 
• Infants appear white in the sunlight and are a light brown color.
• Newborns are light gray to dark.

• Sex cannot be determined until the Golden Monkeys are subadults (3 to 4 years of age)
• They are found in temperature forests on mountains in four provinces in China: Gansue, Shaanxi, and Hubei
• Their home range changes depending on availability of food
• They live in multi-tier societies that consists of one adult male as the head and a number of females and their offspring
• Males are less social than the females, spending time alone at times to rest. 
• Females often form close relationships with other females
• Protecting young offspring is a group effort, as the females often help each other to care for the young
• If there is danger, the young are in the center of a circle of females and the males go to the place where the danger is to check it out
• They usually sleep closer to the ground to stay warm and away from the cold and wind that comes with sleeping higher up
• Females are sexually mature at 5 years old
• Males are sexually mature at around 5-7 years old
• Mating occurs throughout the year but peaks in October
• These monkeys eat lichens, young leaves, fruits or seeds, buds, mature leaves, herbs, bark, and flowers
• Their diet changes throughout the seasons and shows great correlation with food distribution on land 
• The golden monkey is endangered due to habitat lost
• Lichens are their biggest food source and dead trees have the greatest lichen coverage.