Japanese Macaques Look Almost Human

High up in the mountains of Japan lives a monkey that is better suited to the cold than any other primate, excluding humans. Though like humans, they've found a very novel way to deal with the frigid winters. They go to the spa. This is the Japanese macaque. Hi, I'm Danielle Dufault and you're watching Animalogic. Japanese macaques are among the most mythologized animals in their native Japan. These monkeys are found on three of the four main Japanese islands, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. They live in a variety of different habitats, from evergreen and deciduous forests, to subtropical lowlands, to subalpine regions up to 1,500 meters high. The monkeys are more comfortable in warm weather, but they've managed to adapt well to the freezing cold and snowy winters of the Japanese Alps. Temperatures here can get to minus 15, which for most primates would lead to death in just a few minutes. Most primate species don't survive at anything under 5 degrees Celsius. In fact, other than humans, they're the only primates that are able to survive that far north and in temperatures this low. Which is why they're also known as the snow monkey. Japanese macaques are medium-sized monkeys, with the males slightly larger than the females. Macaques that live in colder climates tend to be heavier than the southern ones. The added weight helps them deal with the cold. The macaques that live in colder climates have to deal with temperatures that go down to minus 15 degrees Celsius. Sure, they've got their extra thick winter coats, and they manage to survive the nights by huddling together in trees. But there's gotta be another way to escape the freezing cold. How about a dip in a hot spring? The story goes that in the 1960s, a young snow monkey living in the Nagano mountains took an accidental bath in a local hostel's hot spring heated by a nearby volcano. The other monkeys gradually started doing the same thing, possibly inspired by watching the humans do it. Soon, the humans got a little annoyed that the macaques were interrupting their spa day. After all, sharing bath water with monkeys isn't the most hygienic practice. So the locals very kindly built the macaques their own private hot springs. Decades later, macaque troops bathe in their personal pools every single day. They warm up, groom, socialize, bond, and relax. This modern adaptation has also become a major tourist attraction. The monkeys don't seem to mind the curious humans. They're more concerned about soaking away the stresses of their day. These hot springs are a relatively new adaptation. But these monkeys have been adapting to the cold for thousands of years. The most important of these adaptations are their long, lush, grey-brown coats, which grow extra thick in the winter for insulation. Their faces are naked and a pinkish-red with long beards, giving them a human-like appearance. Their red rump matches their face. And they're more than just a shiny cushion. The size and color of the rump are thought to show important information of the monkeys' reproductive and social status and of their health. This individual's hormones have made its rump look like chewed bubblegum. But he seems to be doing okay. There are 20 species of macaques, with tail lengths ranging from long to non-existent. The Japanese macaque is somewhere in the middle, with a short, stumpy tail that can grow to 10 centimeters at the very most. Like all Old World monkeys, they've got opposable thumbs, which means they can grasp and hold objects. Their lineage diverged from ours about 30 million years ago, but we still share about 90% of our DNA. Some of their features, such as their hands, are virtually identical to ours. Japanese macaques are incredibly intelligent, social creatures. They live in troops ranging from anywhere between a few monkeys to several hundred. Troops are led by a dominant male. Females always stay in the same group they're born into, but the males have to leave before sexual maturity. They'll find mates in other troops. Biologically, this helps ensure genetic diversity. Being a troop leader is a prestigious job, but with great power comes great responsibility. Yes, he gets to mate with all the ladies, but he also has to protect them and the baby monkeys from predators. He can choose where to go and what to eat, but will have to deal with other troops and challenges from other males with an eye on his crown. The females spend a lot of time raising the young monkeys and grooming, which includes getting rid of tangles and combing out parasites. Babies learn to groom their moms at a young age. It's an important social skill that will help them fit in with the group and keep the troop healthy. Well-groomed monkeys have fewer parasites and are better insulated against the cold. Snow monkey troops are always on the move. They're semi-terrestrial, and in large swaths of their range, females spend most of their time in trees. Up here in northern Japan, climbing is less of a necessity and more of a fun way to get around. And they're really, really good at jumping around. Parkour! Their omnivores and their favourite foods are smaller animals and plants, mainly fruits, berries, seeds, flowers, and young leaves. In the winter, with little plant food to be found, they focus their attention on insects, crabs, and eggs. Their opposable thumbs help them skillfully rummage through thick winter snow to find food. If a winter snowfall is particularly heavy, the monkeys rely on eating bark and buds. And if the pickings are really slim, they'll try scavenging fungi. Macaques are equipped with large cheek pouches that can store food while they forage. Before they eat, the monkeys like to wash their food, which is something only a few species do, like us and raccoons. Social rank is very important in a Japanese macaque's world. There is a strict chain of command. A male's rank is usually determined by his age. Other monkeys inherit their social standing through their mother's rank. Beyond time, an extremely clever or aggressive monkey can move up the social ladder and take its family with it. Wow, these monkeys are intense and a little snobby. Japanese macaques can have a number of partners during mating season, which lasts four or five months between September and April. Females are picky and they choose their mates by, you guessed it, rank. Sometimes monkeys fight over who gets to mate with who. The winner of the fight usually comes down to which macaque can scream the loudest. But sometimes, a shouting match doesn't de-escalate conflict. And when things get physical, their weapons of choice are their huge fangs. Wielded by the right monkey, they can be lethal weapons. This most commonly happens during the mating season, when competition is high and temper is flared. But after the fighting comes the loving, and six months later, in the spring or summer, a single baby is born. The babies are very dependent on their mothers and will cling to her for the first two years of their lives. Literally riding around on her back, hanging on to her fur for dear life while she navigates the treacherous, mountainous terrain that they call home. It's a very extreme version of baby monkey riding backwards on a pig. Except it's a baby monkey riding forward on its mum, on a mountain. I guess it's not as catchy. As they grow, the monkeys will learn to socialize and to deal with freezing temperatures by mingling in the hot springs and play fighting in the snow. They sound like a handful. No wonder the mum has to unwind at the spa. Once they're weaned, the male monkeys will leave their troops and spend the rest of their lives traveling between troops and hoping to one day become a dominant male. Macaques tend to live about 30 years in the wild. The population numbers are good and they're not considered threatened. But even though the snow monkey is a protected species, farmers kill thousands each year to keep them away from their livestock and crops. But the only reason the monkeys are near their farmland to begin with is because they're being pushed into smaller and smaller pockets of their native ranges. All because of deforestation and growing human settlements. Sounds stressful. I wonder how a Japanese macaque can find a way to relax. One thing I definitely relate to when it comes to Japanese macaques is their love for a variety of foods. Except for the bugs. I'm always on the lookout to eat delicious food and more importantly, cook delicious food. My knowledge of the kitchen isn't exactly the same as my knowledge of animals. So I have so many questions when I'm cooking at home. Fortunately, my friend Kate over at Minute Food is bringing my cooking game to another level. Minute Food isn't just a cooking channel. They use science to figure out what does and doesn't work in the kitchen. And to answer all sorts of questions about food and cooking. What pan should I use? What exactly is an air fryer? Why am I so bad at cooking steak? By digging into scientific literature and talking to experts, they're making my cooking at home easier, more fun, and more delicious. If you're a lover of science and cooking, then you need to check out Minute Food and hit that subscribe button. I've watched all their videos and just bought myself a new carbon steel pan. Go see why. So what should we talk about next? Please let me know in the comments and be sure to subscribe for new episodes every week. Thanks for watching. See ya.