White-Cheeked Macaque Cited in Arunachal Pradesh

It is quite an important discovery that Indian Scientists have found the presence of Macaca leucogenys or White Cheeked Macaque in central; Arunachal Pradesh. White-cheeked Macaque is a kind of Macaque that was previously found in Tibet, Medog County, and the northeastern part of India which is Arunachal Pradesh. They mostly live in tropical forests and forest habitats. They are commonly found in the secondary and primary evergreen forests, mixed broad-leaved forests of the conifers Chinese primatologists first discovered this species. The exact status of conservation is yet to be determined. However, the White Cheeked Macaque is considered to be threatened by several aspects such as deforestation, poaching, and so on. 

Current news about White Cheeked Macau

The recent discovery of the white Cheeked Macaque in Central Arunachal Pradesh is quite important. . The core significance of this discovery is that it adds up to the number of mammals that were previously present in India. Previously, the number of mammal species recorded in India was 437. However, the discovery of White Cheeked Macaque increased the number to 438. Throughout India, the species has not been reported or even sighted after the incident when a photographer captured its photo in 2015 in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. The scientist within the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) These single sightings has raised the Question among primatologists about whether this species of White-cheeked Macaque exists in India. Scientists are currently studying pragmatic evidence of utilizing non-invasive genetics for discovering non-invasive genetics as well as discovering hidden biodiversity within landscapes. 

The uniqueness of the White-cheeked Macaque

The unique feature of the white-cheeked Macaque is that it has a distinct white cheek. Further features involve thick and long hair around the neck and a distinctively longer tail in comparison to other species of Macaques.  It can even be said that it is the last mammal to be discovered around Southeast Asia. Both White Cheeked Macaque as well as Arunachal Macaque are present in eastern Himalaya’s same biodiversity hotspot. Along with Arunachal Macaque and White-Cheeked Macaques, other species of Macaque that have been spotted in the same landscape involve Macaca mulatta or Rhesus Macaque and Macaca assamensis or Assamese Macaque. However, it should be mentioned that India’s Wildlife protection act does not cover this species as until very recently it was known that this species existed in India. Hence, they suffer threats due to hunting and poaching as well as consumption by locals. They also suffer threats from habitat degradation as a result of infrastructure development and Urbanization. 

Detailed Appearance

Considering the physiological features of the white-cheeked Macaque, it has many similarities with the species belonging to the genus Macaca. This type of Macaque is generally robust with a short tail. If outward appearance is considered, it has a close resemblance with the well-known Assam Macau. This is one of the main reasons why the two species were thought to be belonging to the same species until recent discoveries. The core difference between the two species is the presence as well as the absence of elongated, white whiskers on the face which are specifically found on the face of the white-cheeked Macaque. It has been found that the whiskers begin growing when the animals reach sexual maturity. Further, as they grow the whiskers cover their whole face giving them a rather round facial appearance. In comparison to the Assam Macaque, the white-cheeked Macaque is also dense and long around the neck region. However, they do grow no hair around the short tail region. Moreover, there is also a noticeably distinct difference between the shapes of the two species of Genitalia. The Genitalia of Assam Macaque is arrow-shaped, whereas that of White Cheeked Macaque is more round in structure. This characteristic is one of the main aspects that helped Indian scientists to differentiate between the two.  

Conclusion 

The overall article has been written on the core topic of white checked Macau cited in Central Arunachal Pradesh. The discovery was made by Indian scientists in the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). This topic has been recently added to the subject of Biodiversity and many questions are given in the UPSC exam on this topic. In this article, the topic has been discussed in detail through an analysis of the discovery of the white-cheeked Macaque by an Indian scientist, its different distinguishing features, and detailed appearance.