The Nilgiri langur (''Semnopithecus johnii'') is an Asian

langur The Colobinae or leaf-eating monkeys are a subfamily of the Old World monkey family that includes 61 species in 11 genera, including the black-and-white colobus, the large-nosed proboscis monkey, and the gray langurs. Some classifications split ...

of the

Old World monkey Old World monkeys are primates in the family Cercopithecidae (). Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons (genus '' Papio''), red colobus (genus '' Piliocolob ...

. It has glossy, black fur and an orangey-golden brown, hair-like mane on its head. Females have a white patch of fur on the inner thigh. It typically lives in troops of nine to ten individuals, with or without offspring, depending on seasonality. Its diet consists of fruits, shoots and leaves. It is listed as vulnerable on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

and is threatened by

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and

poaching Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the huntin ...

for its body parts, thought to supposedly contain

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...

properties.

Taxonomy and classification

The classification of the Nilgiri langur has been disputed. Traditionally it has been placed within the genus ''Trachypithecus'' based on morphological similarities such as cranial morphology and neonatal pelage color, and within the ''Trachypithecus vetulus'' group within ''Trachypithecus'' based on a presumed close relationship with the purple-faced langur (''Semnopithecus vetulus''), which had formerly been classified as ''T. vetulus''. DNA and other evidence suggests that the Nilgiri and purple-faced langurs are more closely related to the

gray langur ''Semnopithecus'' is a genus of Old World monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent, with all species with the exception of two being commonly known as gray langurs. Traditionally only the species ''Semnopithecus entellus'' was recognized, but si ...

s, and have thus been reclassified within the genus ''Semnopithecus''.

Description

Adult males have a head-to-body length of and adult females of ; their tails are long. Males weigh and females .

Distribution

The Nilgiri langur is native to the Nilgiri Hills of

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

, where it occurs at elevations of in the states of

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

and

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. It has been sighted in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, Aliyar Forest Reserve, Anamalai Tiger Reserve,

Bandipur National Park Bandipur National Park is a national park covering in Chamarajnagar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It was established as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986. Histor ...

Eravikulam National Park Eravikulam National Park is a 97 km2 national park located along the Western Ghats in the Idukki and Ernakulam districts of Kerala in India. The park is situated between 10º05'N and 10º20' north, and 77º0' and 77º10' east and is the ...

, Idamalayar Reserve Forest,

Mudumalai National Park Mudumalai National Park is a national park in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu in southern India. It covers at an elevation range of in the Nilgiri District and shares boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala. A part of this a ...

Mukurthi National Park Mukurthi National Park is a national park in the western Nilgiris mountains of Tamil Nadu in South India. It was created to protect its keystone species, the Nilgiri tahr. It is part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India's first International ...

, Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve,

Nelliampathi Nelliyampathy (also spelled as Nelliampathi) is a hill station, located from Palakkad, state of Kerala, India. Geography * Nelliampathy is surrounded by tea and coffee plantations. * The village has its own gram panchayat and forms a part ...

Periyar National Park Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP) is a protected area located in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, India. It is a renowned elephant and tiger reserve. The protected area encompasses , of which of the main z ...

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India, located in Kollam district of Kerala and comes under the control of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve. It was established on 25 August 1984 and comprises . The nam ...

and

Silent Valley National Park Silent Valley National Park is a national park in Kerala, India. It is located in the Nilgiri hills and has a core area of . It is surrounded by a buffer zone of . This national park has some rare species of flora and fauna. Silent Valley Natio ...

Behaviour and ecology

The

gestation Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregn ...

period is not precisely known but assumed to be 200 days.

References

External links

*ARKive
images and movies of the Nilgiri langur ''(Semnopithecus johnii)''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q103928246, from2=Q1144310, from3=Q109647585 Nilgiri langur Primates of South Asia Monkeys in India Mammals of Tamil Nadu Mammals of India Fauna of the Western Ghats Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats Vulnerable fauna of Asia Nilgiri langur Nilgiri langur