Climate change impacting winter foraging behavior of wild snow monkeys in Japan: Study

ANKARA

Climate change is impacting the winter foraging behavior of wild snow monkeys in Japan, a new study revealed on Wednesday.

The research involving the University of Tsukuba, and Shinshu University focused on snow monkeys living in mountainous areas around Kamikochi, Nagano prefecture, analyzing DNA samples from the feces of Japanese macaques, state broadcaster NHK reported.

The researchers, who carried out their study from 2022 to 2024, found that the monkeys, regardless of their age or sex, feed on insects from rivers in the winter.

The study found that the number of species of aquatic insects found in the monkeys' feces declined significantly in February last year when average daytime temperatures rose above zero degree centigrade.

Aquatic insects are a valuable source of nutrition for the monkeys when food is scarce.

It, according to the study, may be because the animals were unable to enter rivers due to upstream snowmelts and rising water levels caused by higher temperatures.

The data suggested that changes in temperature of even a few degrees can alter animals' environments and affect their behavior, said Takenaka Masaki, a researcher from the University of Tsukuba.

More frequent and localized temperature rises caused by climate change may affect the feeding habits of snow monkeys during the winter, he added.

*Writing by Aamir Latif