Nicobar long-tailed macaque Nicobar long-tailed macaque The Nicobar long-tailed macaque ("Macaca fascicularis umbrosa", popularly known as the Nicobar monkey) is a subspecies of the crab-eating macaque ("M. fascicularis"), endemic to the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. This primate is found on three of the Nicobar Islands—Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal—in biome regions consisting of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. The Nicobar long-tailed macaque has brownish to grey fur, with lighter colouration on its undersides. Its face is pinkish-brown, with white colour spots on its eyelids. Infants are born with a dark natal coating, which lightens as they reach maturity,
Crab-eating macaque of populations due to increased wild trade and rising levels of human-macaque conflict, which are reducing overall population levels despite the species being widely distributed. Each subspecies faces differing levels of threats, and too little information is available on some subspecies to assess their conditions. The "M. f. umbrosa" subspecies is likely of important biological significance and has been recommended as a candidate for protection in the Nicobar Islands, where its small, native population has been seriously fragmented, and is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The Philippine long-tailed macaque ("M. f. philippensis") is listed as near threatened,