Gray Hanuman Langur

• 28 Oct 2021

Why in News

Recently, A troop of Gray langurs (Semnopithecus entellus) with their pelage (fur or hair) coloured blue was spotted in an industrial neighbourhood of Ankleshwar in Gujarat.

Key Points

• Abobut: 
  
  • Also called Hanuman, Langur, named after the Hindu god, Hanuman.  
    
    • Its 16 subspecies’ range extends from the Himalayas in the north to peninsular India in the south.
  • It is grey washed with buff or silvery shades. Their hands and feet are black and they have long tails for balancing on tree limbs.
• Habitat:
  
  • It is found both in forests and near human habitations.
  • They inhabit areas between 2,200-4,000 metres above mean sea level in the subtropical, tropical moist temperate, alpine, coniferous and broadleaved forests and scrublands.
• Distribution:
  
  • It is distributed in a varied habitat including dry savannah and tropical rainforests.
  • In the Indian Subcontinent, their distribution is reported in Bhutan, northern India and Nepal.
• Threat:
  
  • Deforestation, Mining and Pollution.
• Protection Status:
  
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern
  • CITES: Appendix-I
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 : Schedule-I

Source: DTE