Mammals of the WorldTufted Gray Langur
Semnopithecus priam
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Cercopithecidae
- Genus
- Semnopithecus
- IUCN status
- NT
- Distribution
- India|Sri Lanka
- Realm
- Indomalaya
Other names: Coromandel Crested Langur|Coromandel Gray Langur|Coromandel Sacred Langur|Madras Gray Langur|Central Indian Gray Langur|Madras Gray Langur|Sri Lankan Gray Langur|Southern Gray Langur
About this species
- Size
- Head and body 55–80cm; tail 75–90cm
- Weight
- Adults 11–20kg; males larger than females
- Diet
- Mostly leaves, with twigs and fruit; also flowers and insects
- Range
- South-east India and Sri Lanka
- Litter size
- Single young, rarely twins
- Gestation
- About six months
The tufted grey langur is a large, lanky monkey with a black face, a tuft of light grey hair on a small head, and grey-brown body fur that is paler toward the middle. The long tail is held upright in an S-shaped loop. Head and body length is 55–80 cm, with a tail of 75–90 cm, and adults weigh 11–20 kg, males more than females. The Indian animals are somewhat larger than those of Sri Lanka (Wikipedia, general species account; New England Primate Conservancy).
The species is found in south-east India and Sri Lanka. It is mainly a leaf-eater, taking leaves, twigs and fruit, with flowers and insects as well, and groups typically have one adult male. A female usually bears a single young, or rarely twins, after about six months of gestation. Tigers, dhole, grey wolves, mugger crocodiles and Indian rock pythons occasionally take young and sub-adult langurs (Wikipedia, general species account).
Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)