Monkeys With More Friends Face Winter Better
In primates, social relationships are particularly important: many monkeys depend on them to survive. A recent study showed that monkeys with more friends not only enjoy many advantages in the group, but cope better with the winter. Let’s see why in this article together.
The mountain macaques
Most non-human primates live in tropical and jungle areas, so it’s not common to see how they cope with harsh winters. However, this is not the case with the primate closest to the European continent, the famous Gibraltar macaque.
The Gibraltar macaques are so called because they live in this famous strait. Another less popular name is that of the Barbary macaque, which refers to its natural distribution: the north of the African continent.
This monkey species is one of the best known for its presence in this small British region on the shores of the Iberian Peninsula and is the protagonist of many curious stories. Gibraltar is believed to be British as long as there are macaques there and this has also led in the past to the capture of wild animals in Africa to bring them into the strait.
Currently, there are many tourists who go to this area to observe the macaque show: dozens of monkeys in the wild that have become a symbol of this small territory.
African winters
Although in the collective imagination Africa appears as a warm place where there is no winter, the truth is that being such a large continent, the climate is quite variable depending on the area. Think that this continent is 80 times the size of Italy, so there will be reasonable contrasts regarding temperatures.
This is the case of the mountains and forests where the Gibraltar macaques live, for which this species is forced to face snow and ice to survive. The fact is that these monkeys live at altitudes of 2000 meters: they are the primates that live at the highest altitudes, alongside some species of langur.
Hence, it is for this reason that, despite their thick fur, monkeys with more friends cope with winter better. To keep warm, they congregate in packs during the harsh nights of North Africa.
Monkeys with more friends cope better with winter
A recent study from Lincoln University analyzed so-called social thermoregulation, or the ability of Gibraltar macaques to maintain stable body temperature based on their social relationships.
This is certainly a surprise, since anyone who has spent a cold night in a shelter with friends knows that being close to loved ones is not only good, it also gives warmth. To the point where sleeping close together can be a doom in the summer and a relief in the winter.
The same goes for the Gibraltar macaques. Obviously, monkeys with more friends cope with winter better because they form larger groups. And in these larger groups, winter nights are best dealt with as these animals sleep close to each other to keep warm.
Therefore, it is a fact that monkeys with more friends cope with winter better. Although these animals are able to survive perfectly through this difficult time, they do so with fewer reserves, which impairs their ability to grow and reproduce, both of which are critical to establishing their position in the group and carrying the species forward.
