Macaques are hardy, intelligent primates with stout bodies and powerful limbs. Most macaques have grey or brown fur, with pink or red skin on the face and rump. Some have long tails, others have short tails, or no tails at all. Most species eat fruits, grains, insects, and vegetables, but the crab-eating monkey eats crabs and clam. These omnivorous animals have cheek pouches into which they can cram a great deal of food.
Macaques live in troops of varying sizes, in which both males and females have dominance orders.
Macaques are monkeys that live in a great variety of habitats, primarily in Asia. People in Malaysia train the pig-tailed macaque to pick coconuts from trees. At least one species of macaques, the long-tailed macaque of India, is classified as an endangered species.