9 Reasons to Love the Amazing Snow Monkey

Snow monkeys (also known as Japanese macaques) are a cute, fun-loving bunch. Adorable as they may be, there’s much more to this primate than just a pretty face.

1. They Are Social Creatures (Very Social)

Snow monkeys live in groups called “troops,” which can include up to 500 of the primates (although it’s usually closer to 100). Things get crowded, but are largely kept in order because…

2. Female Snow Monkeys Run the Show

While males end up leaving the troops around the age of four, their female counterparts stick around for their entire lives. The females are responsible for socialization and are to thank for keeping the multiple families within each troop in line.

3. They’re Big on Collaborative Grooming

Snow monkeys groom each other for more than just cleanliness—it’s also their way of hanging out and being social. In fact, almost one-third of a snow monkey’s day is spent grooming other members of the troop (compared to the 1% of the day they spend cleaning themselves).

4. They Know How to Chill

Snow monkeys are world-famous spa-lovers. They spend tons of time bathing in hot springs with their friends and family and, like humans, dig the aprés ski lifestyle.

5. They Monkey Around

When not grooming or bathing, snow monkeys have been observed having some rambunctious fun—they occasionally roll and throw snowballs around.

6. They Are Real Chatterboxes

Snow monkeys have multiple coos and calls for different situations. They have calls to alert others that it’s grooming time, ones to welcome new monkeys into the troop, and coos to calm aggressive individuals during squabbles. They often respond to these calls with their own coos and have little conversations throughout the day.

7. They Speak With Accents

Studies have shown that snow monkeys in one region will have differently pitched coos than those of troops miles away.

8. They Can Handle a Winter

With a range that extends as far north as the tip of the Japanese island of Honshu, snow monkeys live further north than any other primate except humans. Snow monkeys can handle temperatures that dip below 15 degrees F, but they probably complained about this year’s extra-cold winter, too.

9. They Are Smart, With a Capital “S”

Scientists once observed a female snow monkey washing dirt off a sweet potato before she ate it. Soon, her companions picked up on this behavior and began to clean their own food as well, behavior that’s only observed in raccoons, humans, and snow monkeys. They also appear to be foodies – the snow monkeys began seasoning the potatoes in seawater to give the food a tasty kick.

All images courtesy of Thinkstock