Malabar Sacred Langur

Fascinating facts about the Malabar Sacred Langur

• The black-footed gray langur feeds mainly on leaves, a diet it shares with other gray langurs across its southern Indian range. It inhabits the states of Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, with the bulk of its population clustered in the Western Ghats. This leaf-based diet is supported by the forested habitats that dominate its 35,000 km² range, where it can be found both inside and outside protected reserves.
• The black-footed gray langur occurs across Goa, Karnataka and Kerala in south-west India, centred on the Western Ghats. It can be found both inside and outside protected areas.
• The black-footed gray langur occupies roughly 35,000 km² of terrain in south-western India, a span that includes both protected wildlife reserves and unprotected forest patches. Within this area it exploits the dense foliage of the Western Ghats, allowing it to maintain its leaf-based diet across a varied landscape. The size of its range reflects the species' ability to survive in both conserved and non-conserved habitats.
• Historically the black-footed gray langur was placed under the name Semnopithecus entellus, reflecting an early view that it was merely a regional variant of that widespread species. Later genetic work in 2003 suggested it might instead belong to the closely related Semnopithecus dussumieri, prompting a re-evaluation of its status. This taxonomic shift shows how new research can reshape our understanding of primate lineages, even for well-known Indian monkeys.
• A minority of primatologists now propose that the black-footed gray langur may have arisen as a natural hybrid between two other Indian langurs, Semnopithecus johnii and Semnopithecus dussumieri. This hypothesis stems from observations of mixed morphological traits that do not fit neatly into either parent species.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Malabar Sacred Langur

In the lush canopies of the Western Ghats, the Malabar Sacred Langur reigns supreme, its agile form weaving through the dense foliage with effortless ease, as if the very trees themselves had given rise to this lithe and mystical creature. With each fluid leap, its silken coat glistens in the dappled light, like the soft sheen on a summer's leaf, as it navigates the intricate network of branches with a quiet confidence that belies its remarkable adaptability. As it moves, the langur's large, inquisitive eyes seem to drink in the world around it, imbuing its every gesture with a deep and abiding connection to the forest's ancient, whispering heart.

More mammals to discover

Browse Feravox