 The
Tufted Gray Langur -
Issue Forty-Six |
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Get
To Know
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The Odd Couple by Sushma R Doshi
Sushma R Doshi completed her graduation in History from Loreto College, Kolkata. She went on to acquire a Master's Degree, MPhil and PhD in International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Currently, she resides in India and dabbles in writing fiction and poetry on sociopolitical issues. |
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The Tufted Gray Langur is an Old World monkey who live in India
and Sri Lanka; they are partially arboreal, semi-terrestrial and
diurnal in habit. Although principally vegetarians, and eat fruits
and seeds (such as Nelumbo nucifera seeds), especially drier fibrous
fruits, they also eat insects. Evergreen leaves are eaten when others
foods are less abundant and bark is only eaten when nothing else
is available. Their diet is high in strychnine, so they commonly
ingest the gum of the Sterculia urens to counteract the effects.
In the Sri Lankan subspecies, their dorsal area gray to brownish
gray in color, getting darker with the age. Underneath they are
light grayish with short whitish beard and sideburns. The hairs
of the crown form a distinct pointed tuft or crest, that meets at
a central point, giving them their name. Hands and feet are same
color as limbs. Males are larger than females and the average adult
weighs 12.8 kg with a head-to-body length of 61.1 cm. The Indian
subspecies is somewhat larger bodied than the Sri Lankan which typically
weigh between 6.8 and 13.4 kg. Despite its somewhat slighter size
there, they are the largest native primate on Sri Lanka. They mainly
stay in their territories in troops of about 20 to 50 individuals.
Large troops are led by both large male-female combinations, whereas
small troops are governed by an alpha male. Females quickly attain
their heat and mate with new alpha male, even when they are not
ready for the reproduction in the natural estrous cycle. They give
birth to a single offspring or rarely twins, after a 6 months of
gestation period. After birth, offspring is attach to the mother
about 3 months with all the nourishment and other protection. Sub
adult males and other males usually spend the time with searching
for foods, rivals with neighbouring alpha males, and protecting
the troop. Females spend the time with feeding the young, grooming
them, and even play with the young. They communicate with many different
ways such as barks, grunts, whoops, whistles and howls. The cough
like voice is used for giving tension, and whistling for the contact
loss with the troop. The tufted gray langur monkey's superior eyesight
and ability to sit atop high trees allows it to spot predators such
as leopards, black eagles, tigers, dholes, gray wolves, mugger crocodiles,
and occasionally the Indian rock python. They will often sit next
to herds of the spotted deer and notify them when a predator is
approaching. Additionally, they will often drop fruit from tall
trees, which the spotted deer will then feed on. In return, the
deer's excellent sense of smell allows it to detect predators early
on and warn that something may be approaching. They are listed as
a "Near Threatened" species, due to decline of populations in recent
years. Hunting and habitat destruction also affect for the declining
of the species. Some people also fond of eating them in some parts
of Sri Lanka. Very few occasions are recorded of being captured
for pets. Numerous conservations projects are undertaken in both
Sri Lankan and Indian forests and sanctuaries.