In Touch With Nature – Christmas Special: Japanese Macaque (Snow Monkeys) #snowmonkeys #Japan
Posted: December 25, 2024 Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Travel | Tags: In Touch With Nature, Japan, Robbie Cheadle, Snow Monkeys, Writing to be Read 47 Comments
For my final In Touch With Nature post of 2024, which happens to fall on Christmas Day, I am taking you 17 hours of flying time away from South Africa to Nagano in Japan (yes, the same place where the 1998 Olympic Winter Games were held).
Nagano is a very beautiful place and it is home to the Japanese Macaque or snow monkeys.
According to Wikipedia, snow monkeys are a terrestrial Old World monkey (primates in the family Cercopithecidae) species that is native to Japan. They live in areas where snow covers the ground for a significant part of the year. Snow monkeys are the only species of monkeys found in Japan and they are one of the big reasons I wanted to go to Japan when the opportunity arose (TC was offered a lead reviewer position in Tokyo for two weeks and I was expensive luggage – haha!).
We visited a wild snow monkey park in Jigokudani Yaen-koen (altitude 850 metres), located in the Valley of Yokoyu River in the northern part of Nagano. This is the only place in the world where monkeys bathe in hot springs.
These are pictures of Jigokudani Yaen-koen:
Snow monkeys have brownish grey fur, pink to red faces, and short, stumpy tails. The males weigh about 11.3 kg (25 lb) and the females weigh about 8.4 kg (19 lb). They generally move on all fours.
Snow monkeys are omnivorous and eat a variety of foods including approximately 213 species of plants, insects, bark, and soil. During the winters with heavy snowfall, the monkeys rely heavily on bark (the same as elephants during the Southern African winter which is quite interesting).
These are some of my photographs of the snow monkeys in the thermal spring:
Gallery photo caption: These are all snow monkey pictures I took with my iphone.
These are a few of the pictures I took with my camera. They are better, I think.
If you are interested in using any of my snow monkey or Mount Fuji photographs, they are available for free download from Unsplash here: https://unsplash.com/@r_cheadle
Two YouTube shorts of the snow monkeys:
Kaye and I wish you happy holidays and if you celebrate Christmas, may it be very merry.
A few pictures of the tree lights in Japan.
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta is also the author and illustrator of sixteen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of three poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
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I love the snow monkeys!! Lucky you to have had an opportunity to see them. Have a wonderful Christmas day!!
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Thank you,Darlene. It’s been a great day but I am tired 🌞💓. I’m glad you enjoyed the monkeys
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Fantastic post and images, Robbie! Thank you for this wonderful look at snow monkeys.
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Hi Dave, I loved these little guys. I hope your having a wonderful day 🥂🌈
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I am, Robbie! Hope you are, too. 🙂
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Yes, it was lovely.
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🙂
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Such beautiful photos! Have a very merry Christmas!
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Thank you, Dawn. It’s been a wonderful day.
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Merry Christmas, Robbie. Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos and videos.
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Hi Dan,I’m delighted you enjoyed this post. Have a wonderful day 💚
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Thank you for the vicarious journey to Japan AND sharing about those adorable monkeys!
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Aren’t the adorable. I’m glad you enjoyed them, Annette 😃
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Fantastic, Robbie!
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Thank you, Tim 💓
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Lucky monkeys to have those thermal pools to hang out in! Thanks for sharing the sights, Robbie.
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My pleasure, Audrey. I loved seeing these monkeys. Merry Christmas.
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And to you as well, Robbie.
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So cool, Robbie. You had quite a vacation!
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It sounds as if you are having a wonderful time in Japan, Robbie. The photos are fabulous. A Merry Christmas to you and the family. 🙂
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Thank you, Kaye. We had a fabulous time in Japan. Seeing these monkeys was a real treat.
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I love those photos and videos, a real delight to see. The Japanese Macaque are certainly very interesting. That was a great trip. I have not been to Japan yet. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.
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You must be exhausted! Dream of sugar plums dancing about the tree Robbie!
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Amazing stuff. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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My pleasure, Craig. It was amazing.
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What wonderful pictures, Robbie. They sure like they love the thermal spa. Lucky you to see them like that. Happy Holidays.
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Hi Carla, seeing these monkeys was very special. The highlight of the Japan trip for me.
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It will definitely be something to remember, Robbie.
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🩵
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Wonderful photographs Robbie .
Thank you for sharing.
Happy Holidays 🎄🤗
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I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures, Maggie
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Always Robbie 🤗
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I never heard of snow monkeys, but they are beautiful. What a wonderful coat they are wearing too.
Why NOT bathe in hot springs? Our wild birds bathe often and I’m sure they’d like it if we could give them warmer water. I have to go out and empty that huge chunk of ice that forms in the water dish every morning. But as soon as I get the ice out and fresh (tepid) water in, the birds are back — even with such very cold weather.
Wonderful pictures!
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HI Marilyn, I am delighted you enjoyed this post. The monkeys warm up in these thermal springs. It was so amazing to watch them. We have loads of birds in the garden now. WE live close to a bird sanctuary and I encourage them here.
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They are so cute with all that fur and red face. Your photos are outstanding. Thank you for bringing the snow monkeys to us, Robbie.
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Hi Jennie, I am delighted to share about these monkeys. They are so extraordinary.
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😀
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I think I have seen them on tv, but didn’t know anything about them. I am wondering how they feel when they get out of the lovely warm water. We would be rubbing down and quickly getting dressed, the cold on wet fur is worrying! You certainly made the most of the trip.
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Hi Janet, it is amazing to watch these monkeys. They have layers of thick fur to keep them warm. When they get out, they shake off like a dog does. They actually roll in the snow to cool down after time in the springs and they make snow balls which they throw at each other. It’s amazing!
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Very Scandinavian!
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😁💞
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Your snow monkey pictures are stunning. I’ve never seen any besides the ones you’ve taken. I hope you will tell us how you got to be expensive luggage. I’d love to be luggage! LOL
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HI Marsha, I will blog about Japan. I have heaps of adventures to share. I didn’t know about snow monkeys either. I discovered them when doing research on Japan and was determined to see them.
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They are such a compelling subject. 🙂 xxx I am reading The Sunflower Tanka. Your poems in there are excellent. I’m working on a review on my blog for Wednesday. 🙂
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There are amazing photos and videos! Thanks for sharing this part of your trip, and for giving us some info about the snow monkeys 🙂
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My pleasure. This was a great day 💚
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