Myanmar Snub-nosed Monkey

• Common Name: Myanmar Snub-nosed Monkey
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 2011
• Monkey Size: 53 to 55 cm (20.8 to 21.65 in)
• Skin Color(s): Black
• Habitat: Forests
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Myanmar, China

The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey^[1] or black snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri) is an endangered Colobino monkey species discovered in northern Burma (Myanmar) in 2010.

• The monkey’s fur is mostly black. Its crown is a thin, tall crest of long black hair that curves forward.
• It has prominent white ear tufts, a primarily bare face with pale pink skin, a “mustache” of whitish hair above the upper lip, and a distinctive white goatee.
• The perineal area is white and well-defined, and the extremities are predominantly black; the inside of the arms and thighs are dark brown.
• The lips protrude, and the nose is turned up, which makes the animal sneeze when it rains.
• As with other snub-nosed monkeys (members of Rhinopithecus), there is marked sexual dimorphism, with males having relatively larger bodies.
• These Asian primates’ tails are relatively long, usually around 1.4 times their body length.

• The species is known in local Lisu dialects as “mey nwoah and in Law Waw as myuk na tok te“, both of which mean “an upturned face monkey “.
• The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey spends the summer months in the temperate mixed forest at the higher elevations of its range, descending to lower elevations in winter to escape the snow.
• Unlike other snub-nosed monkeys, which mostly live on the ground, Myanmar snub-nosed monkeys are highly arboreal, spending much of their time in trees.
• Locals say these monkeys are easy to spot in the rain, as they often have rainwater on their upturned noses, causing them to sneeze.
• Summer months are spent at higher elevations in a mixed temperate forest. In winter, they descend closer to villages when snowfall makes it difficult to access food.