The rhinoceros is a very rare and very unusual species of monkey. The rhinoceros belongs to the monkey family of the Primates, but because of its specific appearance, it is a separate genus with a single species.
Snipe monkeys are medium-sized monkeys, but among small monkeys they seem to be giants. Body length is 55-72 cm, nosachs have a very long tail, which is almost equal to the length of the body (66-75 cm). Weight ranges from 12 to 24 kg, with males weighing almost twice as much as females at the same body length. Like all monkeys, nosacs have a small rounded head, long limbs with tenacious fingers and a muscular tail. However, the tail is used relatively seldom and its flexibility is inferior to that of other monkey species. The main external feature of these monkeys is a unique nose that cannot be found in any other animal. Females have slightly elongated and coquettishly upturned nose with a sharp triangle, while males exactly the opposite – large and bloated nose hangs like a cucumber. In addition, males differ from females in having a pronounced roll of skin on their shoulders (a kind of collar) and a bulky belly like a beer drinker. The hair of these monkeys is short and close-fitting. The head, shoulders, back and abdomen are colored reddish-brown, “collar” around neck is whitish, tail and limbs are gray, and waist has white triangular spot. Bare skin on face is yellowish-reddish.
Carabidae are narrow endemics, i.e. occur in a limited area. They live only on the island of Borneo (Kalimantan) in the Malay Archipelago and nowhere else in the world. These monkeys live in dense, humid forests along river banks and in mangroves. They are active mainly in the daytime; most of the time they keep in the tree canopy and rarely come down to the ground. When moving in the crown, they may walk along trunks and branches on four limbs, may throw their forelegs one after another and pull themselves up on them (such way of movement is called brachiation), and may jump from branch to branch for long distances. At short distances, rhinoceroses can walk on two legs, which is characteristic only for highly organized great apes, but not for monkeys. Besides, nosachians can swim and even … dive! For this purpose, they have swimming webs between the second and third toes. This is the only species of monkey adapted to moving in water and the only one capable of diving. They can swim 12-20m underwater, which they often have to do because mangroves are dotted with channels that are not always easy to jump over.
Snipe live in flocks of up to 20 individuals. The group is led by the male leader, females and young males occupy a subordinate position. Older males separate from the group and live alone until they can not compete with the leader. Nosachs rarely clash with each other, although minor skirmishes are not excluded. Despite the family way of life, they sleep apart at a fairly large distance from each other (up to 300 m). These monkeys are mobile and rather shouty. Males especially like shouting and even hold vocal competitions in the morning hours to see who can shout out loud. The owner of the loudest voice has great prestige among his congeners. Because of their peculiar sounds, the rhinoceros is sometimes called kahau.
Nosachs feed on leaves and fruits of trees. They prefer young leaves and immature fruits and occasionally eat flowers and insects. They start feeding near the river, then they go deeper into woods and come back in the evening. These animals are not found at a distance of more than 1 km from the water.
The breeding season falls in spring, at which time animals of both sexes invite their partners to mate, displaying their genitalia. Sexual play behavior is also common in the male and female Snipe. Pregnancy lasts for 166-200 days. The female gives birth to one calf, which has a dark face, unlike the adults. Noses of cubs of both sexes are short and upturned, like those of females; young males’ noses grow slowly and are fully formed only at the moment of puberty. The female feeds her calf with milk until 7 months of age, but she still keeps a close connection with it after that. If a new leader joins the group, he kills the offspring of the previous leader, which is why females may sometimes leave the group. Females become sexually mature by the age of 5, males by 7.
The main enemies of nasoches are crocodiles, which attack monkeys while crossing the river. For this reason, they always try to cross the distance on land and cross the river in the narrowest place, although they can swim perfectly well. They may also be attacked by smoky leopards, eagles, monitor lizards and pythons. Poaching also poses a certain threat.
