---
title: "What the sources say about the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "60 claims from the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey (*Rhinopithecus roxellana*)

> 60 claims from the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/golden-snub-nosed-monkey/)

## Rhinopithecus roxellana (golden snub-nosed monkey). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rhinopithecus_roxellana/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Temperate broadleaf and conifer mountain forests | Pygathrix roxellana is found in temperate broad leaf and conifer forests ... These monkeys live in mountain forests all year long (note: ADW's elevation for that habitat is 1,600 to 4,000 m; the line uses the wider, more recent 1,000–4,100 m from Fan et al. 2018) |
| Animal Diversity Web records a head-body length of 570 to 760 millimeters with a tail of 510 to 720 millimeters | These monkeys are reported to range from 570 mm to 760 mm in head and body length. The tail is between 510 and 720 mm. |
| Both sexes carry golden fur across the belly, forehead and neck, while the rest of the coat runs grayish-black in males and brownish-black in females | Males and females have a golden belly, forehead and neck. Males have grayish black on the nape, shoulders, arms, back, head and tail. In females, these parts are brownish black. |
| Its nose is flattened, with forward-facing nostrils and two flaps of skin that form peaks almost touching the forehead | The nose is flattened, with nostrils facing forward. Two flaps of skin on the widely opened nostrils form peaks that almost touch the forehead. |
| In winter the menu narrows to bark and lichen | During the winter, however, these monkeys switch to a more limited diet of bark and lichen. (note: the earlier 'when snow buries the mountain' was cut: no source in the pack mentions snow) |
| dangerLevel: Low | Economic Importance for Humans: Negative These animals have no known negative effects on humans. |
| tags: herbivore | Primary Diet herbivore herbivore folivore folivore lignivore |
| males and females often trade whines and shrills while they eat | This is particularly true of whines and shrills, which are often exchanged by males and females while they are eating. |
| with no body or facial movement to show who is calling | An interesting aspect of golden monkey vocalizations is the ventriloquist-like absence of any body or facial movement. |

## Rhinopithecus roxellana. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, 2023.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Rhinopithecus_roxellana

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| AnAge lists a maximum lifespan of 29.5 years in captivity | Maximum longevity 29.5 years (captivity) |
| one wild-born individual was 29 to 30 when it died in captivity | One wild born specimen was 29-30 years old when it died in captivity (note: 'the oldest confirmed individual' was cut: AnAge records the specimen, not a rank) |

## Yongcheng & Richardson (2021). Rhinopithecus roxellana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T19596A196491153.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-1.rlts.t19596a196491153.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Endangered | IUCN Red List category: Endangered (EN). |
| The IUCN Red List rates the species Endangered | IUCN Red List category: Endangered (EN). |

## Hou et al. (2020). Cold and hungry: combined effects of low temperature and resource scarcity on an edge‐of‐range temperate primate, the golden snub‐nose monkey. Ecography.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05295

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Narrows the blood vessels in its skin to cut heat loss | reducing skin temperature by an average of 3.2°C through a cutaneous vasoconstriction to decrease heat loss (note: 'narrows the blood vessels' paraphrases 'cutaneous vasoconstriction'; the tagline drops the 'average of 3.2°C' figure, which the body keeps; the quote's 'average' attaches to the 3.2°C figure, which this phrase does not give; the body keeps both) |
| burns 14 percent of its body mass getting through a winter | Their 14% of body mass lost over the winter represented an energy yield of 102 kJ mbm−1 d−1 (note: 'body mass' and 'over the winter' are the source's own terms; the earlier 'average of 14 percent' was cut because the abstract states 14% flat) |
| Narrows the blood vessels in its skin to cut heat loss | reducing skin temperature by an average of 3.2°C through a cutaneous vasoconstriction to decrease heat loss (note: the quote's 'average' attaches to the 3.2°C figure, which this phrase does not give; the body keeps both) |
| lives off stored fat | We discovered that in winter the monkeys experience a dietary energy deficit of 101 kJ mbm−1 d−1 compared with calculated needs, despite increased feeding. ... their major strategy is ingesting surplus energy and accumulating fat reserves when food was not limiting during summer and autumn. |
| losing 14 percent of its body mass over the winter | Their 14% of body mass lost over the winter represented an energy yield of 102 kJ mbm−1 d−1 |
| A 2020 study found that despite increased feeding, the monkeys still run short on energy through the cold months, so they draw down fat reserves built up over summer and autumn | We discovered that in winter the monkeys experience a dietary energy deficit of 101 kJ mbm−1 d−1 compared with calculated needs, despite increased feeding. ... their major strategy is ingesting surplus energy and accumulating fat reserves when food was not limiting during summer and autumn. (note: 'run short on energy' paraphrases the stated 'dietary energy deficit'; the 'so' clause is the abstract's own framing of fat storage as 'their major strategy' for the winter deficit; 2020 is the paper's publication year from its metadata, not page text) |
| Over the winter they lose 14 percent of their body mass | Their 14% of body mass lost over the winter represented an energy yield of 102 kJ mbm−1 d−1 |
| narrowing the blood vessels in their skin, called cutaneous vasoconstriction, which drops their skin temperature by an average of 3.2 degrees Celsius | reducing skin temperature by an average of 3.2°C through a cutaneous vasoconstriction to decrease heat loss |
| a 2020 study found the monkeys still can't make up for the cold and scarce food, so they burn through fat stored over summer and autumn | We discovered that in winter the monkeys experience a dietary energy deficit of 101 kJ mbm−1 d−1 compared with calculated needs, despite increased feeding. ... their major strategy is ingesting surplus energy and accumulating fat reserves when food was not limiting during summer and autumn. (note: 2020 is the paper's publication year from its metadata; the 'so' clause is the abstract's own framing of fat reserves as the monkeys' major strategy) |
| Over the winter they lose 14 percent of their body mass | Their 14% of body mass lost over the winter represented an energy yield of 102 kJ mbm−1 d−1 |

## Fan et al. (2018). Vocal repertoire of free‐ranging adult golden snub‐nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). American Journal of Primatology.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.22869

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| in China's mountains | a colobine endemic to China, inhabits temperate forests in mountainous areas at high altitudes of 1,000–4,100 m |
| 1,000 to 4,100 meters in China | a colobine endemic to China, inhabits temperate forests in mountainous areas at high altitudes of 1,000–4,100 m |
| Adult males weigh around 15 kilograms in captivity, adult females closer to 9.5 kilograms | body weights are approximately 15.0 and 9.5 kg for adult males and adult females in captivity, respectively (note: the attribution 'according to a 2018 study of their calls' was cut: Fan et al. cite Davison 1982 and Jablonski & Pan 1995 for these weights rather than measuring them) |
| The basic unit is one male with several females, called a one-male unit | several one‐male multi‐female units (OMUs) and one (occasionally more than one) all‐male unit (AMU) form a large cohesive group up to several hundred individuals (note: 'harem' was cut: Qi et al. define a harem as the set of adult females in a one-male unit, not the unit itself; the quote's 'occasionally' and 'up to' attach to the all-male unit and the group-size clauses, not to the definition of a one-male unit) |
| The basic family unit is one male with several females | several one‐male multi‐female units (OMUs) and one (occasionally more than one) all‐male unit (AMU) form a large cohesive group up to several hundred individuals (note: the quote's 'occasionally' and 'up to' attach to the all-male unit and the group-size clauses, not to the definition of the unit) |

## Qi et al. (2014). Satellite telemetry and social modeling offer new insights into the origin of primate multilevel societies. Nature Communications.

https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6296

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Golden snub-nosed monkeys live in one of the few complex, layered societies documented in mammals | Multilevel societies (MLS), in which polygynous reproductive units are nested in a larger social matrix, represent a highly complex social system documented only in a small number of mammalian species. |
| Several one-male units form a cohesive breeding band, which associates with one or more all-male units of bachelors to form a herd | several one-male units form a cohesive breeding band that associates with one or more all-male units to form a herd (note: the source's own summary of the layers; 'of bachelors' is claimed separately) |
| all-male units of bachelors | the GNG-all-male band, composed of 3 AMUs with 28 bachelor males (note: the source calls the members of an all-male unit bachelor males) |
| A study spanning 14 years in the Qinling Mountains | We integrated 14 years of monitoring the social dynamics of golden snub-nosed monkeys in the Qinling Mountains, Zhouzhi, China with satellite telemetry |
| recorded a neighboring band occasionally merging with the study band into a single troop of more than 300 individuals | we encountered a neighbouring breeding band (DJF) as well as their satellite AMUs that occasionally merged with our study band into a single large troop of over 300 individuals (note: 'two neighboring bands' was cut: the source describes one neighbouring breeding band and its satellite all-male units merging with the study band) |
| satellite collars tracked one such merger for three weeks in February and March | during a 3-week period in February and March, the social components represented by the five collared males merged to form a single large troop (note: the collared males wore GPS collars read by satellite (Methods); the earlier 'for a few weeks at a time' was cut because the source records one 3-week merger, not a repeating duration) |
| A study spanning 14 years in the Qinling Mountains | We integrated 14 years of monitoring the social dynamics of golden snub-nosed monkeys in the Qinling Mountains, Zhouzhi, China with satellite telemetry |
| recorded a neighboring band occasionally merging with the study band into a single troop of more than 300 monkeys | occasionally merged with our study band into a single large troop of over 300 individuals (note: 'monkeys' paraphrases 'individuals'; the earlier 'for a few weeks at a time' was cut) |
| these units travel together in bands | The breeding band is an aggregation of OMUs that coordinate their daily activity |

## Guo, Li & Watanabe (2007). Diet and activity budget of Rhinopithecus roxellana in the Qinling Mountains, China. Primates.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-007-0048-z

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the Qinling and Shennongjia Mountains | a group of Rhinopithecus roxellana on the East Ridge of Yuhuangmiao in the Qinling Mountains |
| Fruit and seeds, lichens, leaves, bark and buds | The overall diet of R. roxellana consisted of 29.4% fruit/seeds, 29.0% lichens, 24.0% leaves, 11.1% bark, 4.2% buds, 1.3% twigs and 1.0% unidentified items. (note: listed in the source's own order of share, largest first) |
| annual diet of 29 percent fruit and seeds, 29 percent lichens, 24 percent leaves, 11 percent bark and small amounts of buds, twigs and unidentified items | The overall diet of R. roxellana consisted of 29.4% fruit/seeds, 29.0% lichens, 24.0% leaves, 11.1% bark, 4.2% buds, 1.3% twigs and 1.0% unidentified items. (note: percentages rounded from the quote (29.4, 29.0, 24.0, 11.1); the remainder is given as the source lists it, buds 4.2%, twigs 1.3% and unidentified 1.0%, rather than as buds and twigs alone) |

## Yiming (2006). Seasonal variation of diet and food availability in a group of Sichuan snub‐nosed monkeys in Shennongjia Nature Reserve, China. American Journal of Primatology.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20220

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| shifting to primarily lichen from November to April | the monthly diet varied from primarily lichens in November-April |
| From November to April, lichen is their primary food | the monthly diet varied from primarily lichens in November-April |
| lichens made up 43 percent of feeding records overall | lichens (Usneaceae) accounting for 43.28% of feeding records (n=3,452) (note: 43 percent rounded from 43.28%) |
| the biggest single share of any food type there | lichens (Usneaceae) accounting for 43.28% of feeding records (n=3,452). Other food types in the diet were young leaves (28.71%), fruits or seeds (14.57%), buds (5.36%), mature leaves (3.51%), herbs (2.09%), bark (1.36%), and flowers (1.13%). (note: 43.28% is larger than every other food-type share the source lists, so this is arithmetic from its own numbers; 'biggest single share' is a comparison of the figures in the quote, not a rank the source states) |
| lichens accounted for 43 percent of feeding records overall | lichens (Usneaceae) accounting for 43.28% of feeding records (n=3,452) (note: 43 percent rounded from 43.28%) |
| from November to April the monthly diet is primarily lichens | the monthly diet varied from primarily lichens in November-April (note: 'when little else is available' was cut as unsourced) |

## Li et al. (2001). Seasonal Home Range Changes of the Sichuan Snub-Nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in the Qinling Mountains of China. Folia Primatologica.

https://doi.org/10.1159/000052734

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Radio tracking in the same mountains put a year's total home range at 22.5 square kilometers | have been studied by radio tracking and direct observation in the Qinling Mountains of China ... the total area used was 22.5 km(2) (note: 'a year's total' is the source's total area used across its four seasonal ranges (spring 14.1, summer 9.5, autumn 12.1, winter 12.3 km2)) |
| An unusually large home range is a hallmark of this monkey | An unusually large home range is a unique characteristic of this monkey. (note: 'hallmark' for the source's 'unique characteristic') |

## Zhang et al. (2011). Sleeping cluster patterns and retiring behaviors during winter in a free-ranging band of the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey. Primates.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-011-0241-y

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Freezing temperatures make staying warm a matter of survival | Keeping warm is critical for survival in freezing temperatures. |
| A study of one wild, provisioned band in the Qinling Mountains | observational data on a provisioned free-ranging band in the Qinling Mountains, central China (note: 'wild, provisioned' keeps the source's 'provisioned free-ranging' scope: the band was fed, which can affect retiring times) |
| the monkeys retire to sleep between 6:04 and 6:58 pm in winter | Monkeys retired between 1804 and 1858 h in winter. (note: 1804-1858 h converted to 6:04-6:58 pm) |
| All of them slept in trees at night | all monkeys slept in trees at night |
| often in the lower canopy rather than the colder, windier branches above | Monkeys often slept in the lower stratum of the tree canopy, avoiding the upper canopy where it is cold and windy. (note: 'rather than ... above' paraphrases 'avoiding the upper canopy'; 'rather than ... above' is the quote's 'avoiding the upper canopy'; the cold and wind are the quote's own words) |
| They also formed larger sleeping clusters at night than during the day | They formed larger sleeping clusters at night than in daytime. |
| most often adult females clustered with juveniles | The most common types of night-sleeping clusters were adult females and juveniles, followed by adult females with other adult females. (note: the second, less common type (adult female pairs) is left out; the source's 60.2% covers both together, so no figure is given) |

## Li (2007). Terrestriality and tree stratum use in a group of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys. Primates.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-006-0035-9

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the Qinling and Shennongjia Mountains | in the Qianjiaping area of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, China |
| Wolves, leopards and golden eagles threaten individual monkeys at one Shennongjia Nature Reserve study site | in the Qianjiaping area of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, China ... Wolf (Canis lupus), leopard (Panthera pardus), and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) are predators threatening the survival of individual monkeys in the study site. (note: 'hunt these monkeys' was softened to the source's 'threaten' and held to its study site) |
| the monkeys spend 97.1 percent of their time in trees, mostly in the middle and upper canopy, and 2.9 percent on the ground | They spent 97.1% of their time in trees (n=21,234 records) and 2.9% on the ground, and mainly used the middle (74.4%) and upper strata (17.4%). (note: the causal clause 'keeping them out of easy reach on the ground' was cut as unsourced) |
| Wolves, leopards and golden eagles threaten individual monkeys at one Shennongjia Nature Reserve study site | in the Qianjiaping area of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, China ... Wolf (Canis lupus), leopard (Panthera pardus), and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) are predators threatening the survival of individual monkeys in the study site. |
| the monkeys spend 97.1 percent of their time in trees and 2.9 percent on the ground | They spent 97.1% of their time in trees (n=21,234 records) and 2.9% on the ground, and mainly used the middle (74.4%) and upper strata (17.4%). (note: the quote's 'mainly' attaches to the middle and upper strata, which this answer does not mention) |