The Proboscis Monkey

With its long nose, the Proboscis Monkey is certainly one of the most easily identifiable Old World monkeys, with its reddish hued coat adding a certain unique physical trait to its already stand out characteristics.

Found in Borneo, it is also known as the bekantan, and is also even popularly referred to as the orang belanda or the “Dutchman”, as well as the monyet belanda or “Dutch Monkey”, namesakes which owe their origins to how the people of the Southeast likened the monkey’s large bellies and long noses to those of Dutch colonizers.

Known for being among the largest of monkeys found in Asia, the Proboscis Monkey’s nose is so unusually large that they have been described as “living caricatures”, with most caricatures typically exaggerating physical attributes such as large eyes, large ears and large noses.

With the average Proboscis Monkey measuring somewhere between 21 to 76 inches in head to body lengths, they are known to weigh as small as 15 lbs to as much as 50  lbs.

The nose of the Proboscis Monkey, particularly in males, can grow in lengths of up to 4 inches, typically hanging lower than the monkey’s mouth. Though the noses of female Proboscis Monkeys aren’t as long as those found in males, they are still quite long for a monkey to have.

Also, apart from their long noses, both male and female Proboscis Monkeys have “pot bellies”, which essentially makes them appear more “human like”, to a certain extent.

Primarily, Proboscis Monkeys partake on diets mostly made of fruits and leaves, but they are also known to feast on small insects and flowers from time to time. As with most monkeys, they also have their own set of natural predators, which includes crocodiles, clouded leopards, and pythons.

Classified as an Endangered species, Proboscis Monkeys are certainly among the stranger and more unique monkeys in the world, with their long noses giving them an uncanny look that is somewhat similar to the faces of human beings.

 Proboscis Monkey Video