Question

In India, commonly available Rhesus monkey is
A. Macaca mulatta
B. Alouatta
C. Ateles paniscus
D. Ateles geoffroyi

Answer 1

Rhesus monkeys are native to India, Nepal, and SouthEast Asia. They are widely distributed in large populations and they have a high tolerance to a broad range of habitats. They inhabit the widest range of nonhuman primates. They are present close to human settlement and the range varies from grassland to arid zones.

Complete answer:
The Rhesus monkey also called Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) is a species of Old World monkey. Important points regarding Rhesus monkey-
• They are having the widest geographic ranges of any non-human primate, occupying a great diversity of altitudes throughout Central, South, and Southeast Asia.
• They inhabit different areas such as arid, open areas, grasslands, woodlands, and in mountainous regions up to 2,500 m in elevation.
• They are regular swimmers.
• Babies can also swim, and adults are known to swim over a half-mile.
• They are often found drowned in small groups where their drinking waters lie.
• They usually form colonies close to the human habitat.
• They are distributed all over India and are found in good amounts in almost every state.
• They gave their name to the Rh factor (an element of a person’s blood group).

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Additional information:
Important points regarding other options-
• Alouatta- These are the new world monkeys and are called howler monkeys because of their loud howling nature. These are native to America.
• Ateles paniscus- These are red-faced spider monkeys and they are native to South America.
• Ateles geoffroyi- These are new world monkeys and they are found in Central America. They are commonly called Black handed spider monkeys.

Note: The Rhesus monkey that is native to India is the Old world monkey and they share around 93 percent of their DNA with human beings. They are herbivorous and can tolerate a wide range of habitat hence are spread over all of India. The Rhesus blood type was first discovered in Rhesus monkeys and hence named after them.