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Order : PRIMATES
Family : Cercopithecidae
Species : Trachypithecus pileatus
Head-body length :
males up to ~70 cm, females up to ~60 cm
Tail length : males up to ~104 cm, females up to ~90 cm
Weight : males up to ~14 kg, females up to ~10 kg
Trachypithecus
pileatus (Capped Langur, Bonneted
Langur) occurs in northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, northeast India, Bhutan
and southwest China at elevations of up to 3000 metres.
Various subspecies are recognised. IUCN (Das et al, 2020) categorise the species as a whole as Vulnerable.
Trachypithecus pileatus pileatus ('Blond-bellied
Langur') is the subspecies whose range extends into Southeast Asia i.e. northwestern Myanmar;
IUCN assess this subspecies as Endangered (Das et al, 2021).
Within Myanmar this striking primate occurs west of the Chindwin river, in
the Chin Hills south to Mount Victoria. Its exact population size in this
area is unknown, but is clearly decreasing due to loss of forest habitat and
illegal hunting for the bush meat and pet trades (Thompson et al, 2023).
Its preferred habitats include various type of closed and open forest, and
bamboo groves. It is mainly arboreal in habits, but at times will descend to
the ground. Its diet comprises young leaves. (Francis, 2019).
Most Trachypithecus pileatus have dark to blackish fur on top of the
head, and a dark face. Its body fur is overall greyish to pale brownish, and
its underparts and facial hair are pale yellowish or pale orange. Its long
tail has a broad dark tip.
Figs 1
and 2 : Adult example from montane forest in Bhutan (subspecies Trachypithecus
pileatus tenebricus). Photos thanks to Ng Bee Choo.
References :
Das, J., Chetry, D., Choudhury, A. & Bleisch, W. 2020. Trachypithecus
pileatus (errata version published in 2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species 2020: e.T22041A196580469
Das, J., Bleisch, W., Chetry, D. & Choudhury, A. 2020. Trachypithecus
pileatus ssp. pileatus (errata version published in 2021). The IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species 2020: e.T195360310A195362972
Francis, C.M. 2019. A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-east Asia. Second
Edition. New Holland. 416 pp.
Thompson, C., Lwin, N., Aung, P. P., Aung, T. H., Htike, T. S. M., San, A.
M., ... & Evans, T. S. (2023). The status of primates and primatology in
Myanmar. Global Ecology and Conservation, e02662.
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