Japanese macaque
Macaque japonais
Macaca fuscata

Order: Primates

Family: Cercopithecidae

Food: Although omnivorous, the Japanese macaque, or snow monkey, feeds mainly off plants: young shoots, flowers, fruit, root vegetables and mushrooms. But it also eats various insect species and, occasionally, invertebrates (crabs), and bird eggs. 

Breeding: Seasonal breeding. The female reaches sexual maturity around the age of 3 ½, the male at around 4 ½. Mating takes place in autumn and early winter. Gestation lasts almost 6 months (173 days). Birthing occurs in the springtime and summer, one suckling at a time, and weaning takes place at about one year.

Life expectancy: In the wild, an average of six years. In captivity, up to 30 years.

Predators: Birds of prey, such as the mountain eagle; carnivores, such as raccoon dogs, stray dogs, and human beings. 

Status: Insufficient data, but the status of the population is a matter of concern because of the loss of habitats and the number of animals destroyed by human beings. One subspecies, the Macaca fuscata yakui, is in danger of extinction.