Black-shanked Douc Langur (Pygathrix nigripes) lives in tropical rainforest across Southeast Asia. It feeds on leaves and fruits. Its conservation status is Critically Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Black-shanked Douc Langur
- Its face is a vivid blue framed by bright yellow eye-rings, while the male's genitalia are a blue scrotum and a pink penis, a colour combo found nowhere else among doucs. This unique palette is highlighted by the thin chestnut outline on the face and the black back of the head. The striking colours also extend to the white pubic patch, contrasting with the dark limbs. Such distinctive markings make the black-shanked douc instantly recognisable among its relatives.
- Nearly 25,000 individuals live in Cambodia's Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, and the count has held steady for ten years. This sanctuary therefore supports the bulk of the species' remaining population, far outweighing the few hundred animals found in Vietnam. The stability of this group contrasts with the overall decline that prompted a status change to critically endangered.
- The black-shanked douc occupies a razor-thin slice of latitude, only between 11° N and 13.5° N in eastern Cambodia and southern Vietnam. This narrow band lies within the Annamite Range, a mountainous landscape that provides the evergreen forest canopy they prefer. Their range extends from sea level up to 1500 m, although most sightings now occur at higher elevations because lower-lying forest has been cleared.
- The black-shanked douc eats a remarkably wide range of vegetation, with diet studies recording consumption of as many as 150 different plant species, indicating it will feed on virtually any leaf it encounters. It relies heavily on leaves year-round, but during the dry season leaf intake rises while fruits and flowers become scarce. Throughout the day it chews leaves continuously, yet it prefers to eat fruit before midday to maximise morning energy gains.
- Group size in black-shanked doucs can range from as few as three individuals to gatherings of up to thirty-five, a flexibility that mirrors their fission-fusion social structure. In the wet season, when food is abundant, separate one-male units often merge into larger bands, expanding the group size. Conversely, poorer habitat quality or greater human disturbance tends to keep groups smaller.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSoutheast Asia
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietLeaves and fruits
About the Black-shanked Douc Langur
In the lush, emerald canopies of Southeast Asia's dwindling forests, the black-shanked douc langur weaves an intricate dance, its slender form gliding effortlessly through the trees with a mesmerizing elegance. With eyes like polished onyx and a coat of shimmering silver, this rare and enigmatic creature navigates its endangered world with a quiet determination, its very existence a testament to the beauty and fragility of life on the brink. As it moves, the douc langur's long, sinuous tail streams behind it like a dark banner, a symbol of the resilience and adaptability that has allowed this critically endangered species to cling to survival.
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