SELA MACAQUE

  Macaque was first discovered in China in 2015, its existence was not known in India before this . It is only now that Indian scientists have discovered its presence in the remote Anjaw district in central Arunachal Pradesh. That is barely 200 km aerial distance from where it was first spotted in China in Modog in Southeastern Tibet. The latest discovery, takes India’s mammal count to 438. Both the Arunachal macaque as well as the White Cheeked Macaque exist in the same biodiversity hotspot in the eastern Himalayas. 

While the Macaque was first discovered in China in 2015, its existence was not known in India before this . It is only now that Indian scientists have discovered its presence in the remote Anjaw district in central Arunachal Pradesh. That is barely 200 km aerial distance from where it was first spotted in China in Modog in Southeastern Tibet. 

The latest discovery, takes India’s mammal count to 438.  Both the Arunachal macaque as well as the White Cheeked Macaque exist in the same biodiversity hotspot in the eastern Himalayas. 

The study describes the Sela macaque as genetically closer to the Arunachal macaque. The two have some similar physical characteristics such as heavy-build shape & long dorsal body hair. Both species have troops that either avoid proximity to humans or are used to human presence.  While the Sela macaque has a pale face and brown coat, the Arunachal macaque has a dark face and dark brown coat.

 While the Sela macaque has a pale face and brown coat, the Arunachal macaque has a dark face and dark brown coat. The study says the Sela macaque has a tail longer than the Tibetan macaque, Assamese macaque, Arunachal macaque and the white-cheeked macaque but shorter than the bonnet macaque and toque macaque. 

Sela macaque belongs to the sinica species-group of Macaca, but it differs from all other members of this group through attributes such as brown collar hair and muzzle, thick brown hair around the neck and the absence of chin whiskers