Purple-faced Langur (Semnopithecus vetulus) lives in tropical rainforest across Sri Lanka. It feeds on leaves and fruits. Its conservation status is Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Purple-faced Langur
- Male purple-faced langurs can reach a head-body length of 50 to 67.1 cm and sport tails as long as 67 to 85.1 cm, while females are smaller at 44.7 to 60 cm body length with tails of 58.9 to 82 cm. Adults weigh between 3.1 and 11.4 kg, averaging about 7.08 kg, but the smallest subspecies, S. v. nestor, typically tips the scales at only 3.8 to 6 kg.
- Only 19 % of Sri Lanka is still forested, and the langur's preferred closed-canopy habitat has shrunk dramatically: from about 80 % forest cover in 1980 to roughly 25 % in 2001, and today less than 3 % of its historic range remains. With ninety percent of the remaining range now overlapped by human settlements, the monkeys are forced into fragmented patches where sunlight pierces the canopy. This rapid loss explains why populations are critically low and why protecting the last forest fragments is vital for their survival.
- In 2011 a Wildlife Conservation Society survey recorded 30 white, leucistic purple-faced langurs among just 14 troops in the Sinharaja forest, a striking contrast to the normally dark-coated animals. Their ghostly appearance has turned the nearby village of Lankagama into an ecotourism hotspot, drawing visitors who otherwise avoid the area.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSri Lanka
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietLeaves and fruits
About the Purple-faced Langur
In the lush canopies of Sri Lanka's forests, the purple-faced langur reigns as a majestic and enigmatic presence, its sleek, grey-brown coat glistening in dappled sunlight as it navigates the trees with effortless agility. With a subtle elegance, it moves through the branches, its long tail a counterbalance to its lithe, muscular form, as it forages for leaves and fruits with a discerning precision. As one of the island's most endangered primates, the purple-faced langur's very existence is a poignant reminder of the fragile beauty and impermanence of life in these dwindling ecosystems.
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