Habitat
                         
  Japanese macaques inhabit all but one of the islands of Japan. Their habitat consists mainly of secondary, broad-leaved deciduous forests with some evergreen trees. Temperatures range from -2 degrees Celsius in December-February to 32 degrees Celsius in July-September (Hiraiwa 1989). The topography of their habitat includes cultivated fields as well as mountainous areas, extending from the subtropical lowlands to the sub alpine highlands (Flannery 2002; Ikeda 1982).  
                         
                 
Because of the cold climate, Japanese macaques living in the northern regions of Japan encounter snow during the winter months and have often been observed soaking in hot springs to escape the cold. However, because their dark bodies stand out against the snow and their footprints are more visible, observers find it easier to track macaques during the winter (Wada 1976).
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Photograph courtesy of http://animalpicturesarchive.com/animal/

ViewImg.cgi?img=a2/0805picg_crop-Japanese_Macaque_in_hot_spring.jpg
 
               
    A few troops of Japanese macaques have been taken from their natural habitat and transplanted in the United States. One such troop, the Arashiyama West troop, now lives in Laredo, Texas. The transplant site is semi-arid and very sunny throughout the year. It has a savannah flat-plains ecosystem with vegetation including cacti and mesquite scrub. The troop inhabits a 42 ha. enclosure designed to mimic the spread area in its native range (Clark 1978).
    
               
Photograph courtesy of  N. Rowe, The Pictoral Guide to Living Primates. nrowe@primates.org

 

  
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