Many food items vary depending on the geographical location of each troop including rhododendron flower's nectar in the spring.

Lichens are toxic to most animals, but the black-and-white snub-nosed monkey has specialized digestive enzymes similar to those of a cow that remove the harmful bacteria.

The highest recorded altitude of a group of this species is 4700 m.[15] Surviving in such extreme conditions is only made possible by a mutation in the primate's genomic DNA sequence that allows increased resistance to oxygen deprivation (hypoxia).

[16] Other mutations in the DNA sequence have been found to be harmful to the monkeys, as there is evidence of inbreeding and low genetic diversity among populations.

[11] This species has a highly restricted distribution in the bio-diverse Nujiang Langcang Gorge alpine conifer and mixed forests of the Yun Range, which is part of the greater Hengduan Mountains.

[15] Only 17 groups with a total population of less than 1,700 animals survive in northwest Yunnan and neighboring regions in the Autonomous Prefecture of Tibet.