User:Jasleend/Tonkin snub-nosed monkey

Lead
The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey or Dollman's snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) is a slender-bodied arboreal Old World monkey, endemic to northern Vietnam. It has black and white fur, a pink nose and lips, and blue patches around the eyes. It is found at elevations from 200 to 1,200 m (700 to 3,900 ft) on fragmentary patches of forest on craggy limestone areas. First described in 1912, the monkey was rediscovered in 1990 but is exceedingly rare. Out of the five snub-nosed monkey species in the world, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is the rarest. In 2008, fewer than 250 individuals were thought to exist, and the species was the subject of intense conservation effort. The main threats faced by these monkeys are habitat loss and hunting, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the species as "critically endangered".

Article body- Biology
The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is diurnal and its diet consists of a range of leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds. It is a largely folivorous species with its diet consisting mainly of leaves that come from bamboo and evergreen trees. The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey has a strong jaw which allow it to chew the tough plant-based food that is part of their diet. The monkey also has a specialized digestive stomach that aids in the digestion of its plant-based diet. Bacteria in the stomach break down plant cellulose and provide it with more calories that can be expended into more energy. It moves about the canopy in small groups.

Reproduction
Females reach reproductive maturity at about the age of four years old, while males reach reproductive maturity at about seven years old. Not much is known about the reproductive nature of the monkey, although it is suspected that it follows a polygraphynous mating system. A female can give brith to one or two offspring after a 200-day gestation period, with births typically occurring in spring or summer.

Article Body (Genetics?)
A genetic diversity experiment based on mitochondrial information on the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey population in 2016 showed that there is a low amount of genetic variability in the population. This low diversity is likely a result of deforestation and intensive hunting of the species which led to population bottlenecks and restricted gene flow. A low amount of genetic diversity in a population is often associated with an increase in extinction, though there are examples of species that have persisted regardless of low genetic diverstiy.

Lifespan
The typical lifespan recorded in colobine monkeys is about twenty years, with an age of twenty-nine years recorded in captivity. The lifepsan of Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys has not been recorded as of yet.

Conservation Efforts
Fauna & Flora International has been focused on making an impact to the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey population. In order to protect the two largest known populations, located in Khau Ca in Vietnam and in a forest fragment near the border of China, Fauna & Flora International has been working with local communities to spread awareness about the species and monitor its habitat. Vietnamese authorities were also brought on to the plan to ensure that the Khau Ca forest was formally protected, with population size increasing and stabilizing since these efforts have been made. The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey has been receiving awareness about its critical endangerment, but there is still much to be done to secure its stability and survival.

Habitat
The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey resides in primary forests which consist of bamboo and broadleaf evergreen. Recorded at elevations between 200 and 1,200 m, its distribution is currently restricted to these forest which are located on hilltops and mountains created from karst limestone. The species' environment is also defined by its monsoon rainfall and tropical temperatures.

Status
Its range once included areas to the east of Vietnam's Red River. Today, its populations can be found in small areas within Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, Ha Giang, and Thai Nguyen provinces. The largest known population of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey exists in the Khau Ca Species and Habitat Conservation Area, located in the Ha Giang province....