Rising Winter Temperatures Threaten Snow Monkeys Survival: Study
(MENAFN) A new study warns that warming winter temperatures linked to climate change are disrupting the feeding habits of wild Japanese snow monkeys in central Japan's mountains, potentially threatening their survival.
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba and Shinshu University tracked behavioral shifts in snow monkeys living near Kamikochi in Nagano Prefecture, analyzing DNA from fecal samples collected between 2022 and 2024, according to media.
The team discovered that throughout winter, the monkeys — regardless of age or gender — routinely consume aquatic insects from local rivers, which serve as a vital food source when other resources dwindle.
However, the study found a marked decline in the variety of aquatic insect species in feces samples from February 2024, when average daytime temperatures climbed above 0°C.
The researchers believe the monkeys may have struggled to access river habitats due to snowmelt and rising water levels — both outcomes of warmer weather — limiting their ability to forage.
Even slight increases in temperature can transform animal habitats and influence their behavioral patterns, according to Takenaka Masaki, a researcher at the University of Tsukuba.
He also noted that increasingly frequent and localized temperature spikes driven by climate change could further disrupt the snow monkeys' winter foraging behavior.
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