Semnopithecus
| Hanuman Langur | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Hanuman Langur Hanuman Langurs in Sri Lanka | ||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Species | ||||||||||||||||||
| Semnopithecus entellus |
The Hanuman Langur, Semnopithecus entellus, is an Old World monkey found in the Indian subcontinent. It is a large and fairly terrestrial species of open wooded habitats and urban areas.
It is largely grey, with a black face. Grey Langur is an alternative name. The male is up to 75cm long, and the female 65cm. Langurs from the southern part of their range are smaller than those from the north.
The Hindu monkey god Hanuman took the form of this species, hence its name. It is the sacred monkey of India.
Hanuman langurs feed on leaves, fruit, buds and flowers. They spend most of their time on the ground. They are diurnal and usually walk on all fours.
They live in medium to large groups, usually with one dominant male. When a new male takes over a troop, he systematically kills all the infants sired by the previous alpha male.