Rhesus Monkey pictures

Rhesus Monkeys - Interesting Information

The name, Rhesus Monkeys, is connected to the naming of the hereditary blood antigen Rh factor that was discovered on their red blood cells in 1940. Rh factor is also found in humans. The mixing of Rh blood with non-Rh blood during blood transfusions or the later stages of pregnancy can result in potentially dangerous defense reactions.

Economic Importance for Humans--Negative: In India Rhesus Monkeys do great damage to crops and gardens in many areas. As they are viewed as sacred animals, there is nothing that can be done with them.

Economic Importance for Humans--Positive: These are popular zoo animals. They are also used in different researches. They are especially useful in biological, medicinal, and psychological research. They are also most often used in psychological research when the emphasis is on perception, learning, or behavior.

Rhesus Monkeys - Pests

In India these animals are thought to be sacred. In other regions such as Sri Lanka the Rhesus Monkey is thought to be a pest. Because they are so used to humans and possess little fear, they are considered by some to be a potential danger. In the wild, they prefer areas of open grasslands, mountain regions and dry open woodlands.

Rhesus Monkeys - In the Lab

As these are the closest relatives of humans, the Rhesus Monkeys have become the primary target of biomedical and behavioral research using primates. Their relative willingness to breed in captivity has made them the monkey of choice for scientists. The monkeys that are kept in captivity have the conditions that are approximate to normal social settings. It has been learned that, those monkeys that were bred outside captivity and maintained in these settings, rarely become successful caregivers to their own offspring.

Once assigned, Rhesus Monkeys are commonly caged separately. As they are not used to living alone, they often develop self-injurious behaviors such as self-biting, hair pulling, and repetitive motions. Rhesus Monkeys who have evolved to keep track of complex social interactions among large groups are reduced to entertaining themselves in small mind-numbing cubicles.

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Rhesus Monkeys - Pictures

Rhesus Monkeys - Interesting Information

Rhesus Monkeys - Pests

Rhesus Monkeys - In the Lab