Rhinopithecus brelichi, Thomas, 1903

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Cercopithecidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 550-755 : 728

127.

Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey

Rhinopithecus brelichi

French: Rhinopitheque du Guizhou / German: Graue Stumpfnase / Spanish: Rinopiteco de Guizhou

Other common names: Brelich's / Gray Snub-nosed Monkey

Taxonomy. Rhinopithecus brelichi Thomas, 1903 ,

China, Van Gin Shan (= Fanjingshan), Guizhou.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. SC China, restricted to Fanjingshan in the Wuling Mts, Guizhou Province.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 66-72 cm, tail 97 cm; weight 14-15 kg (males) and c.8 kg (females). The Guizhou Snubnosed Monkey. is dark brown above, blending to a grayish color on its lower back, with underside and inner surfaces of limbs bright gingery-red in adult males (becoming overlain with black on chest and belly). Hands and feet are blackish. Face is bare and white, with black cheeks and dark bluish skin around eyes. It lacks cheek wedges seen in other species of Rhinopithecus . Brow is gingery-red, and ears are tipped with white. Tail is long (nearly 150% of headbody length), and its fur is black and rather curly at the base, with a white tip. Adult males have a white patch of fur between their shoulders, red hair on back of their head, and white scrotum and nipples.

Habitat. Steep mountainous areas in mixed deciduous and broadleaf evergreen or coniferous forest at elevations of 1500-2500 m. Temperatures here fall below freezing during five months of the year, and snow is common in winter. During this time, Guizhou Snubnosed Monkeys move down to rivers, as low as 570 m above sea level. They are sympatric with the Tibetan Macaque ( Macaca thibetana ) and the Rhesus Macaque ( Macaca mulatta ).

Food and Feeding. The diet of the Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey contains mainly leaves (47%), along with buds (15%), flowers (9%), fruits and seeds (22%), and bark, bulbs, and some animal prey, mainly insect larvae (7%). The diet varies by season. It contains mainly young leaves, flowers, unripe fruits, and seeds in spring, ripe fruits and seeds in summer, mature leaves in autumn, and buds in winter.

Breeding. Mating of the Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey occurs between summer and autumn, with a peak in September. A single offspring is born in March—May. Infants are grayish-white and become darker gray as juveniles. Age at first birth is c.9 years, with an interbirth interval of ¢.3 years.

Activity patterns. The Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey is diurnal, arboreal, and terrestrial. Although primarily a tree-dweller, groups frequently cross open areas on the ground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey lives in small unimale—multifemale groups of 3-10 individuals, or in bachelor groups of 2-5 individuals. In March—June and August-October, groups band together to form temporary conglomerations of over 400 individuals. Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkeys sleep huddled together in broadleaf evergreen trees, with dense foliage, to conserve heat. Their home ranges are ¢.3500 ha.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey is listed as Category I under the Chinese Wildlife Protection Act of 1989. It seems always to have been rare and was long known from only two specimens collected in 1903. In 2005, the total world population was estimated at 750-800 individuals. It is occasionally hunted (illegally) for its meat and use in traditional medicine, and it is sometimes caught in snares set for other animals. Habitat loss and disturbance are currently its major threats. The only place it is known to occur is Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve (China). Its extent of occurrenceis less than 5000 km? and the area of occupancyis less than 500 km?, in fewer than five locations. Tourism in this region is increasing considerably, with roads, hotels, and a cable car being constructed in the nature reserve. This and continued agricultural expansion and the collection of firewood have negative effects on the extant population. Due to its low genetic variability and restricted distribution, the Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey might be highly vulnerable to environmental changes or climate oscillations. There is an urgent need to survey other remnant forests in the region, especially Jinfoshan National Nature Reserve, for the small possibility of finding other populations in the Wuling Mountains and also to investigate the possibilities for translocation. The most urgent conservation need is to remove threats in and around the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve. Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve maintains a captive breeding colony, and a few pairs have been sent to other centers in China, but breeding is slow and the future of the captive population is not secure.

Bibliography. Bleisch (1991), Bleisch & Xie Jiahua (1998), Bleisch, Cheng Aosong et al. (1993), Bleisch, Long Yongcheng & Richardson (2008), Groves (2001), Liedigk et al. (2012), Sun Dunyuan et al. (1999), Xiang Zuofu et al. (2012), Yang Mouyu, Sun Dunyuan et al. (2009), Yang Mouyu, Yang Yeqin et al. (2012), Yang Yeqin et al. (2002).

Figures

122. Red-shanked Douc (Pygathrix nemaeus), 123. Gray-shanked Douc (Pygathrix cinerea), 124. Black-shanked Douc (Pygathrix nigripes), 125. Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus), 126. Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus bet), 127. Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi), 128. Golden Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana), 129. Stryker’s Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri), 130. Pig-tailed Langur (Simaas concolor), 131. Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)

Distribution. SC China, restricted to Fanjingshan in the Wuling Mts, Guizhou Province.