Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus): habitat and range

Fun facts

It is the only non-human primate living wild in Europe, on the Rock of Gibraltar.
It has no tail, a trait unique among the macaques.
Every male in the group helps care for the infants, since promiscuity makes paternity hard to establish.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat and environment: Cedar and oak forest, scrub and rocky slopes of the Atlas Mountains, with an introduced population in Gibraltar
Birth weight: Exact weight at birth not found as a precise figure
Size at birth: Well developed, able to cling to its mother's fur from birth
Sexual maturity: Female: 2.5-4 years | Male: 4.5-7 years
Gestation / incubation: 158-170 days (~5.5-6 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young (twins rare)
Life expectancy in captivity: Documented record of up to 30-31 years in captivity

Sources consulted: New England Primate Conservancy; University of Lincoln; AnAge; Zoo Barcelona; Animalia.bio; The Animal Facts; AnimalHub; PMC

Where to find it

Best time: All year round in the cedar and holm oak woods of the Moroccan and Algerian Atlas, by day; on Gibraltar the introduced population is watched without difficulty.

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The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Barbary Macaque — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Shares a park

Same taxonomic family

How to help

The barbary macaque is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.

It's documented in 6 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.

Barbary Macaque