Toque Macaque

About the Toque Macaque

The toque macaque (Macaca sinica) is a reddish-brown-coloured Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is known as the riḷawā (Sinhala: රිළවා), (hence the English word rillow). Its name refers to the whorl of hair at the crown of the head, reminiscent of a brimless toque cap.

The generic name Macaca is from Portuguese macaco, of unclear origin, while sinica means "of China," even though the species is not found there. There are three recognized subspecies of toque macaques: Macaca sinica sinica, dry zone toque macaque or common toque macaque

Macaca sinica aurifrons, wet zone toque macaque or pale-fronted toque macaque Macaca sinica opisthomelas, highland toque macaque or hill zone toque macaque M. s. opisthomelas is similar to subsp. aurifrons, but has a long fur and contrasting golden color in the anterior part of its brown cap.

The three subspecies can be identified their head colour patterns. With age, the face of females turns slightly pink. This is especially prominent in the subspecies M. s. sinica. M. s. sinica is found from the Vavuniya, Mannar to the lowlands of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, and Kurunegala... Wikipedia →