• Appearance: Their fur is grayish-brown to golden-brown, with a pinkish hairless face. The "bonnet" is a whorl of hair that radiates from the center of their head.
• Size and weight: Males are larger than females. A male's body can measure 51.5–60 cm (20.3–23.6 in) and weigh 5.4–11.6 kg (12–26 lb), while a female's body length is 34.5–52.5 cm (13.6–20.7 in) with a weight of 2.9–5.5 kg (6.4–12.1 lb).
• Tail: They have a long tail that aids in balancing as they climb. 

• Geographic range: Bonnet macaques are found throughout peninsular India, bordered by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti rivers to the north.
• Variety of habitats: They live in a wide range of habitats, including evergreen and deciduous forests of the Western and Eastern Ghats, agricultural lands, and urban and suburban areas.
• Arboreal and terrestrial: These monkeys are both arboreal (tree-dwelling) and terrestrial (ground-dwelling). They are also strong swimmers. 

• Omnivorous: As omnivores, their diet is highly diverse. In forest settings, they primarily eat fruits, seeds, leaves, insects, bird eggs, and small reptiles.
• Adaptable foragers: In areas near human settlements, their opportunistic feeding habits cause them to raid crops, garbage, and food offerings left at temples. They have also been known to eat soil from termite nests to help with digestive issues. 

• Group living: Bonnet macaques live in multi-male, multi-female troops, with group sizes that can range from 5 to 75 individuals. Troop size tends to be larger near human habitation.
• Dominance hierarchy: They have a linear dominance hierarchy, with females remaining in their natal groups and most males dispersing upon maturity.
• Affiliative bonds: Unlike many other macaque species, males form strong, tolerant social bonds, engaging in grooming, cuddling, and play to maintain social harmony.
• Communication: Bonnet macaques use a range of communication methods, including gestures, facial expressions like lip-smacking and grimacing, and alarm calls to warn of predators. 

• Breeding: The main breeding season occurs from September to October, with infants typically born between February and April.
• Gestation and maturity: The gestation period lasts about 24 weeks, resulting in a single offspring. Females reach maturity between 3 and 4 years of age.
• Infant care: The whole troop participates in the protection and care of infants. Weaned at about one year old, the young are independent by one year.
• Lifespan: In the wild, they typically live for 20–25 years, while those in captivity can live up to 35 years. 

• Vulnerable: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the bonnet macaque as "Vulnerable" due to significant population declines over the last three generations.
• Threats: Major threats include habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict in urban and agricultural areas, and illegal hunting for the pet trade and research. In some regions, competition with the more aggressive rhesus macaque also impacts their populations.
• Wildlife Protection: The species is listed under Schedule I of India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, which affords it the highest level of protection. 

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