- Barbary macaque
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Tailless, terrestrial monkey (Macaca sylvana) found in groups in Algeria and Morocco and on the Rock of Gibraltar.It is about 24 in. (60 cm) long and has yellowish brown fur and a bald, pale pink face. Lacking a tail, this macaque has often been incorrectly called an ape. It is the only wild monkey in Europe and may have arrived in medieval times, taken westward during the Muslim Arab territorial expansion. According to legend, British dominion over Gibraltar will end when the Barbary macaque departs.
Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvana).Tom McHugh/Photo Researchers* * *
▪ primatealso called magottailless ground-dwelling monkey that lives in groups in the upland forests of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Gibraltar. The Barbary macaque is about 60 cm (24 inches) long and has light yellowish brown fur and a bald pale pink face. Adult males weigh about 16 kg (35 pounds), adult females 11 kg. The species was introduced into Gibraltar, probably by the Romans or the Moors. According to legend, British dominion over the Rock of Gibraltar will end only when this macaque is gone. Because it has no tail, this monkey is sometimes incorrectly called the Barbary ape.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
