Crab-eating macaque crab-eating macaque is a known invasive species and a threat to biodiversity in several locations, including Hong Kong and western New Guinea. The significant overlap in macaque and human living space has resulted in greater habitat loss, synanthropic living, and inter- and intraspecies conflicts over resources. "Macaca" comes from the Portuguese word "macaco", which was derived from "makaku", a Fiot (West African language) word ("kaku" means monkey in Fiot). The specific epithet "fascicularis" is Latin for a small band or stripe. Sir Thomas Raffles, who gave the animal its scientific name in 1821, did not specify what he meant by
Crab-eating macaque durians such as "Durio graveolens" and "D. zibethinus", and are a major seed disperor for the latter species. Although the species is ecologically well-adapted and poses no threat to population stability of prey species in its native range, in areas where the crab-eating macaque is not native, it can pose a substantial threat to biodiversity. Some believe the crab-eating macaque is responsible for the extinction of forest birds by threatening critical breeding areas as well as eating the eggs and chicks of endangered forest birds. The crab-eating macaque can become a synanthrope, living off human resources. They are known to