Updates On 29th Jun 2015

LET MACAQUES TEACH YOU HOW TO EAT AND RUN!

You may have seen hamsters storing food in their cheek pouches. Did you know that long-tailed macaques do the same?

Macaques possess adaptive features which help them survive and thrive in the wild. They have cheek pouches, which are handy tools that grow larger in order to accommodate food. The function of these pouches is to keep food safe for brief periods of time � usually as long as it takes for a macaque to get from one place to another. The cheek pouches are situated in the cheeks and extend as low as the neck.

If you combine the two pouches that an individual macaque has, they can store about a full stomach�s worth of hard-earned food. Macaques have thumbs and can use their hands to fill and empty their pouches and to peel fruit.

The pouches are very useful if macaques are disturbed by predators while looking for food on the ground. With their food in their pouches and hands free, they can escape quickly on all four limbs to the safety of trees.

Isn�t it interesting to see the qualities that some animals share and the ways that they benefit from them? All animals have unique traits that help them survive in their natural habitats. Imagine if humans had food pouches to prevent us from going hungry whenever we have to rush off for our appointments!

#ACRES #SaveSgMonkeys

Source: https://www.facebook.com/ACRESasia/photos/a.223077136522.136..

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ACRES

ACRES (Animal Concerns Research & Education Society) is a pioneering Singapore-based charity and Institution of Public Character, founded by Singaporeans in 2001 with the aim of promoting animal welfare.

ACRES has six focus areas: Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Wildlife Crime Investigation, Zoo Animal Welfare, Humane Education, Community Outreach and Promoting Cruelty-Free Living.

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