Purple-faced Langur

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Purple-faced Langur

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Family:	Cercopithecidae
Genus:	Trachypithecus
Species group:	T. vetulus
Species:	T. vetulus

Binomial name

Trachypithecus vetulus
(Erxleben, 1777)

The Purple-faced Langur (Trachypithecus vetulus), or Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, is a species of Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka.

This is a long-tailed arboreal species, mainly brown with a dark facemask and paler lower face. The loud barking call, particularly of the highland form, can be mistaken for the roar of a predator such as a Leopard.

This was once a common species, which was found even in suburban Colombo and in the wet zone villages, but rapid urbanisation has taken a toll on the numbers of these monkeys.

It is said to be very selective in its diet, and its range has contracted greatly in the face of human encroachment, although it can still be seen in Sinharaja, Kitulgala, or in the mountains at Horton Plains National Park.

There are four distinct subspecies of Purple-faced Langur:

Southern Lowland Wetzone Purple-faced Langur, Trachypithecus vetulus vetulus
North Lowland Wetzone Purple-faced Langur, Trachypithecus vetulus nestor
Dryzone Purple-faced Langur, Trachypithecus vetulus philbricki
Montane Purple-faced Langur or Bear Monkey, Trachypithecus vetulus monticola

[edit] References

Eudey et al (2000). Trachypithecus vetulus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN A1cd v2.3)
Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 178. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.