11.1.12

First Public Expose: Myanmar Snub-Nosed Monkey


The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey is a new species to science discovered by a team of local and international primatologists in northern Myanmar in 2010. The species has been named Rhinopithecus Strykeri in honour of Jon Stryker, President and Founder of the Arcus Foundation who supported the project. However, in local dialects it is called mey nwoah, ‘monkey with an upturned face.’

The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey is found in Kachin State in north-eastern Myanmar and is cut off from other related species by the Mekong and Salween Rivers. According to a research paper published by Momberg and his colleagues in The American Journal of Primatology, the monkeys' distribution area appears to cover about 270 km2 in northeastern Myanmar, and the entire species is estimated to comprise between 260 and 330 individuals. It is expected that the species will soon be classified as "Critically Endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

For comparison, picture below is a Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus Bieti).

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