SPECIES PROFILE

Name: grey langurs are a group of eight species of monkey making up the Semnopithecus genus.

Appearance: they are mostly grey (although some are more yellowish), with black faces and ears.

Size: grey langurs grow up to 80 cm long with their tails adding a further 100 cm to their overall length. The heaviest ever recorded was a male Nepal grey langur which weighed 27 kg.

Diet: they are primarily herbivores, eating leaves, pine cones, fruits, roots, seeds, and grass. Occasionally they will eat spider webs, termites, and insect larvae.

Did you know: grey langurs live in large groups and have complex social lives. These groups can be made up of one male with several females, multiple males and females living together, or all male groups. Social hierarchies exist in each of these groups, with the most aggressive males reaching the top alongside the older, healthier females. While males can be violent, relationships between females tend to be friendly and they forage, travel, and rest together.

Location: grey langurs are found in forests, open woodlands, and urban across the Indian subcontinent. Most species are found at low altitudes, but the Nepal grey langur and Kashmir grey langur can be found up to 4,000 m in the Himalayas. They can adapt well to human settlements and are often found in villages, towns, and agricultural areas.

Where TO SEE langurs

According to reports submitted to WildSide, you can see langurs in the following places:

Photo credit: sarangib under a Creative Commons licence from Pixabay