Yunnan golden monkey (scientific name: Rhinopithecus bieti): body length 51-83 cm, tail length 52-75 cm; weight 9-17 kg. The fur of the Yunnan golden monkey is not golden, but mainly gray, black and white. The standard Chinese name should be Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. They have pointed black crests on their heads, blue-gray or flesh-pink around their eyes and snouts, and dark blue upturned noses. The back of the body, hands, feet and tail are gray-black, with gray-white sparse long hair on the back. The ventral surface of the body, the sides of the neck, buttocks and the inside of the limbs are all white.

The Yunnan golden monkey inhabits the dark coniferous forest belt of the mountains above 3,000 meters above sea level, and its activity range can range from 2,500 meters to 5,000 meters in the mountains. It mainly feeds on young leaves of usnea conifers and overwintering flower buds and leaf buds, and feeds on plant buds and young leaves. Baby monkeys are mostly born between March and April. Female monkeys give birth once every two years, with a gestation period of about 7 months.

The Yunnan golden monkey is a species endemic to China. It is only distributed in a small area between the Lancang River and the Jinsha River at the junction of the three provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet in China, in the Yunling Mountains of the Hengduan Mountains on the southern edge of the Himalayas. Basic introduction Chinese name: Yunnan golden monkey Latin scientific name: Rhinopithecus bieti Alias: Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, anti-nosed monkey, black golden monkey, black snub-nosed monkey Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrates Subphylum: Mammal Class: Eutheria Order: Primates Suborder: Anthropoids Suborder Family: Monidae Subfamily: Colobus Subfamily Genus: Snub-nosed monkey Genus Species: Yunnan golden monkey Subspecies: No subspecies Named by: Milne- Edwards, 1897 Synonymous scientific name: Pygathrix roxellana bieti.: Milne-Edwards, 1897 English name: Black Snub-nosed Monkey English name: Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation level: Endangered (EN), from IUCN Red List Speciology History, morphological characteristics, habitat, living habits, colonies, food, breeding methods, distribution range, population status, number of monkeys, ecological impact, population degradation, protection planning, protection level, history of species Yunnan golden monkey, also known as black golden monkey, Black snub-nosed monkeys, snow monkeys, big green monkeys, white monkeys, flower monkeys, and flying monkeys are called "Zhijie" in Tibetan, "Zhamipuzha" in Lisu, and "Puzai" in Bai Medicine" (note: Baiwen baip hhod, meaning white monkey). In 2014, researchers from the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and other scientific research institutions sequenced the entire genome of a male Sichuan golden monkey. Through comparative genomics, functional experiments and metagenomic analysis, they revealed primate herbivory adaptations. molecular mechanism, and elucidated the origin and evolutionary history of the genus Golden Monkey. The research results were published in the British journal Nature Genetics on November 2, 2014. Researchers from the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, sequenced and analyzed the whole genome of a male Sichuan golden monkey with 146-fold coverage, and resequenced three related species, the Yunnan golden monkey, the Guizhou golden monkey and the Myanmar golden monkey, with 30-fold coverage. Research has confirmed that the northern species (Sichuan golden monkey and Guizhou golden monkey) and the Himalayan species (Yunnan golden monkey and Myanmar golden monkey) diverged about 1.6 million years ago; the northern species formed about 620,000 years ago, and the Himalayan species formed about 15 Thousands of years ago. Historical evolution: The genus snub-nosed monkey occurred in the Qinling region of China during the Pleistocene period more than 1 million years ago. It is generally believed that the origin of the golden monkey is related to the mesothecus (an ancient colobus monkey) from the late Miocene to Pliocene period in Eurasia. ) is related to Doliehcpithecus from Europe.

The snub-nosed monkey was first a species distributed in the Hengduan Mountains. Later, 4 species evolved due to reproductive isolation due to geological changes. The isolation of these species occurred 25,000 years ago. Due to the short isolation time, these species are not complete species. . According to different ecological characteristics, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys that live in high altitudes are called evolutionarily advanced species, while the Vietnamese golden monkeys are relatively primitive, the Sichuan golden monkeys are closely related to the Guizhou golden monkeys, and the Guizhou golden monkeys are relatively primitive. The Yunnan golden monkey has been officially named and scientifically recorded by humans for more than 100 years. In 1890, a French animal collection team arrived in Deqin, Yunnan Province, China. They carried out hunting activities in the Baima Snow Mountain in northwest Yunnan Province, China, with the help of Monseigneur Biet, a French missionary who was preaching in Deqin. , obtained 7 specimens of Yunnan golden monkeys and transported them all back to the Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. In 1897, the famous French taxonomist Milne-Edwards conducted a classification study on these specimens and gave a complete scientific description of this species. In honor of Biet's help in collecting the specimen, Milne Edward named the species Rhinopithecus bieti according to the binomial nomenclature established by Linnaeus. Since then, this species has had its own place in the species library on Earth. The type specimen of the Yunnan golden monkey was collected in Adunzi, Deqin, Yunnan in 1871, and is now collected at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, France. But since 1897, there has been no news of the Yunnan golden monkey in its place of origin, and many people believe it has become extinct. Chinese scientists' research on Yunnan golden monkeys began after 1960. In 1960, zoologist Professor Peng Hongshou accidentally saw the skin of Yunnan golden monkeys at a livestock company in Deqin, Yunnan, and unexpectedly confirmed that this mysterious species still exists. It was not until 1962 that Chinese scholars discovered traces of it again during field surveys. The actual field scientific investigation of this species began in the late 1970s, when three complete specimens were obtained for the first time, thus unveiling its mysterious veil. In 1979, Chinese zoologists finally saw with their own eyes the activities of the wild Yunnan golden monkey population during a field expedition. Since the 1980s, the protection of Yunnan golden monkeys has attracted great attention from the Chinese government. In 1983, the first Yunnan golden monkey reserve, the Yunnan Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve, was established, thus opening up the protection of Yunnan golden monkeys. The prelude to the protection of a rare and endangered animal. These actions greatly promoted the protection of Yunnan golden monkeys. In the summer of 1992, Long Yongcheng, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Craig Kirkpatrick, a doctor from the University of California, established a camp in a place called Bengre Gongga deep in the Baima Snow Mountains. , conducted three years of field research on Yunnan golden monkeys. In May 1993, photographer Xi Zhinong followed the expedition team into the activity area of ??Yunnan golden monkeys. Due to the large range of activities of Yunnan golden monkeys, the shooting activities went through many hardships. Finally, three months later, he waited for the opportunity, within a distance of 200 meters. , photographed the Yunnan golden monkey, which is the earliest image data of the Yunnan golden monkey. In the following decades, Chinese scientists have made successive scientific research efforts and various media reports, and its significance in global biodiversity protection has been recognized by the world. It is particularly worth mentioning that the popularity of the Yunnan golden monkey has increased dramatically since it became the mascot of the 1999 Kunming World Horticultural Exposition. The Chinese government has included the “Golden Monkey Protection Project” among its fifteen special wildlife protection projects. Morphological characteristics: The body length of the Yunnan golden monkey is 51-83 cm; the tail length is 52-75 cm; the male weighs 15-17 kg; the female weighs 9-12 kg. The Yunnan golden monkey is slightly larger than the Sichuan golden monkey, and its facial features are similar to the Sichuan golden monkey. The body hair on its body is not golden, but mainly gray-black and shiny. The hands and feet are also black, so they are also called black snub-nosed monkeys, but the inner sides of the upper arms, throat, neck, buttocks and thighs are all gray-white, forming an obvious contrast. Different from the Guizhou golden monkey, its large white spots grow on both sides of the buttocks, and the hair on the spots is white and long.

The hair on the back and shoulders is also longer, and the male monkey also has a long, pointed black hair crown in the center of the head. The area around the eyes and snout are blue-gray or flesh-pink, and the tip of the nose is upturned and dark blue. The back of the body, hands, feet and tail are gray-black, with gray-white sparse long hair on the back. The ventral surface of the body, the sides of the neck, buttocks and the inside of the limbs are all white. The newborn cub's coat is light yellow, its eyes are big and lively, and the tips of its limbs are all red. What's especially beautiful is that its lips are cherry red, just like a girl with lipstick. In Yunnan, the locals also call it snow monkey or white monkey. This may be because it lives in snow-covered mountains, or because its cubs are light white all over. In addition, the Tibetan compatriots in the place of origin call it "Zhijie" and the Bai compatriots call it "White Wart", which both mean the big white monkey with the smell of sheep. Habitat environment The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey is the primate that lives at the highest altitude in the world. It inhabits the dark coniferous forest belt in the mountains above 3000 meters above sea level, and its activity range can range from 2500 meters to 5000 meters in the mountains. It usually lives in spruce and fir forests at an altitude of 3500-4500 meters. The habitats belong to four vegetation types: subtropical mountain evergreen, deciduous broad-leaf mixed forest, subtropical deciduous broad-leaf forest, evergreen coniferous forest, and secondary coniferous broad-leaf mixed forest. As the seasons change, they do not move horizontally. Directional migration, only moving vertically in the habitat. Life habits: Clusters and group living. Yunnan golden monkeys live in small groups, mostly 20-60 individuals. Large groups of more than 150 individuals have not yet been found. It is a mixed group of multiple males and multiple females, with social hierarchical behavior. A family usually consists of one male, 2-3 females and several cubs. There is no obvious seasonal vertical migration phenomenon. The activity range is different from the size of the monkey group, about 20-133.4 square meters, and its average density is 1.12-2.5 square meters. The main food is the young leaves of coniferous trees and the overwintering flower buds and leaf buds of usnea. They also eat the young buds and young leaves of usnea (a kind of tree hanging lichen, Bryoria nepalensis) and birches. In July and August, they also eat the bamboo shoots of arrow bamboo. and tender bamboo leaves, and the fruits of the sumac tree are also eaten in winter. Reproduction method: Most Yunnan golden monkeys are born in July-August. Due to the late season at high altitude in their habitat, they give birth 2-3 months later than Sichuan golden monkeys. The reproductive rate of Yunnan golden monkeys is very low, with females reproducing approximately once every three years. Among the monkeys observed in mid-November every year, almost all adult female monkeys have cubs, all of which are relatively neat in size. Based on their morphology, it is estimated that most of them were born in July-August. It is a typical polygynous system. The ratio of adult male monkeys to female monkeys is about 3:1. This small family is the basic breeding unit. At the same time, there are also "all-male" subgroups composed of bachelors outside the small family. They are the losers in the process of competing for mating rights and those who are not yet fully adult. Female monkeys give birth to one child every two years. , the gestation period is about 7 months. The distribution range is in the Yunling Mountains of the Hengduan Mountains on the southern edge of the Himalayas, a small area between the Lancang River and the Jinsha River, covering an area of ??about 20,000 square kilometers, extending northward to the Tranquility Mountains in Tibet. , including Deqin County, Weixi County, Lijiang, Jianchuan County, Lanping, Yunlong County and other counties in Yunnan, as well as Mangkang County in Tibet. Distribution map of Yunnan golden monkey population. The number of monkeys in 1987 was estimated to be no more than 100,000. 1,000 in 1993, it was estimated that there were about 1,000 in Mangkang, Tibet. A comprehensive survey from 1987 to 1994 found that there were 13 wild monkey groups, with about 1,500 in 2003. The survey results show that the species' population has increased, reaching nearly 1,700 individuals.

The survey results in October 2004 showed that there are 15 groups of Yunnan golden monkeys in the wild, with a total population of about 1,700. Among them, there are 3 groups in the Mangkang Yunnan Golden Monkey National Nature Reserve in Tibet, with a population of more than 300. ; There are 6 groups in the Yunnan Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve, with a population of about 1,000, and there are 3 groups in the Yunling Provincial Nature Reserve, with a population of about 150; at the junction of Yulong, Lanping and Jianchuan counties in Yunnan Province There are 2 groups of about 200 birds in one place; there is another group of about 80 birds in Deqin County, Yunnan Province, close to the border with Mangkang County in Tibet. Globally, the total population in 2006 was estimated at less than 2,000 individuals, with less than 1,000 adult individuals, and the population is on a downward trend. On August 7, 2013, a joint expedition of Chinese and French biologists revealed to reporters after many days of field inspection and analysis that the number of Yunnan golden monkeys in China has increased to more than 3,000. Ecological impact According to historical records, the Yunnan golden monkeys in ancient China had a wide distribution area. Due to the impact of human activities, they gradually retreated to a corner of the border between Yunnan and Tibet, and lived in the alpine coniferous forest belt near the glacier snow line all year round. The slopes here are steep and the cliffs are deep, and the geographical environment and climate conditions are very harsh. It has been found that there are only 13 natural populations of Yunnan golden monkeys, about 1,000-1,500. They live in the Yunling Mountains between the Jinsha River and the Lancang River. The administrative divisions are Mangkang in Tibet, Deqin, Weixi, and Lanping in Yunnan. "In the extremely fragmented alpine cold fir forest belt" in five counties including Lijiang and Lijiang, the distribution area is about 20,000 square kilometers. These natural populations are isolated from each other and distributed like islands, with no genetic exchange between groups. The Yunnan golden monkey is on the verge of extinction. Conservation biology believes that there is a class of species called "keystone species" that play a leading role in the ecosystem. The rise and decline of key species directly affects the rise and fall of other species in the system. Keystone species in ecosystems are often plants. For example, the key species in the Yunling Mountains are spruce and fir, which are related to the survival of countless species in the forest, including the Yunnan golden monkey. Therefore, once these two tree species are destroyed, the entire forest ecosystem will inevitably fall apart. Population Degradation When the ferocious carnivores in the Yunling Mountains are extinct and on the verge of extinction, the only natural enemies of the Yunnan golden monkeys are the most dangerous and terrifying "humans". Due to the continuous deforestation, the habitat of Yunnan golden monkeys is being destroyed at an accelerated pace. The large forests that used to be connected have been cut into pieces and distributed in arc islands. The 13 natural populations of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys are isolated from each other, and it is impossible for genetic exchanges between monkey groups to occur, resulting in inbreeding and population degradation. And because the residents of the Yunnan golden monkey distribution area include Tibetans, Lisu, Yi, Naxi, Bai, Pumi and other ethnic minorities, many of them have traditional hunting habits, especially the hunting customs of the Lisu people. The Yunnan golden monkey, an endangered species, has very little tolerance for hunting. Experts believe that the situation of Yunnan golden monkeys is similar to that of gibbons. The loss of every 100 monkeys within a year must not exceed 1 female individual and 1 cub to ensure the development of the population. Therefore, poachers are the biggest threat to their survival. . Conservation Planning In 1993, the Mangkang Nature Reserve was established to protect Yunnan golden monkeys. Bame is an isolated forest island with only 40 square kilometers and is surrounded by barren mountains. There were less than 50 in 2013, and the population has been experiencing negative growth in recent years. Within the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, the protected area covers an area of ??190,000 hectares. According to the population distribution and activity range of Yunnan golden monkeys, it is necessary to adjust and expand the zoning area of ??Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, and establish a protection station in the new reserve. As the State Forestry Administration launches a nationwide natural forest protection project, Yunnan Province has taken the lead and included more than 5 million hectares of forest in the project. Deqin County *** also made a decision to stop commercial logging in the county starting in 1998 and to classify all habitats of Yunnan golden monkeys into nature reserves. Protection level: Listed in the 2008 Red List of Threatened Species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ver 3.1 - Endangered (EN). It is listed in CITES Appendix I of the Washington Convention as a protected animal. Listed in China's national key protection level: Level 1 Effective year: 1989.

Listed in China’s Red Data Book of Endangered Animals: Endangered Effective Year: 1996.