Which rainforest primate is famous for its long, pendulous nose and lives on Borneo?

The proboscis monkey is the rainforest primate famous for its long, pendulous nose and Bornean habitat. Its scientific name is Nasalis larvatus, and it is endemic to the island of Borneo.

Adult males have especially large noses, while females and young animals have smaller ones. Researchers link the male nose to vocal resonance and sexual signaling, although its precise functions are complex. Proboscis monkeys eat leaves, fruits, and seeds, and their multi-chambered stomachs help them digest foliage.

These monkeys are unusually comfortable in water and are capable swimmers. They often live near mangroves, rivers, and swamp forests, where groups move through trees and sometimes leap into water to escape danger. Habitat conversion, hunting, and the loss of wetland forest have reduced their populations, making protection of Borneo’s remaining coastal forests especially important.