Tufted Gray Langur

In Sri Lanka, tufted gray langurs are abundant in dry zone forests and also within human dwellings. Many numerous troops are found at archeologically important areas, such as Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Anuradhapura, and Sigiriya. The animal is also found in southward of the island, such as Hambantota, Yala National Park, and Tissamaharama.

Generally a shy animal, tufted gray langurs are partially arboreal, semi-terrestrial and diurnal in habit. They always find a way to come to the ground when there is no danger. Unlike the canopy-dweeling sympatric relatives, they are rather common in urban settlements, found in gardens, and other large fruit trees such as Mangifera indica, and Artocarpus heterophyllus.

Diet. Mostly folivorous, tufted gray langurs are fond of eating anything vegetarian. They are known to eat fruits and seeds. Langurs are differ from leaf monkeys, where latter is known to eat mature, fleshy fruits, and langurs are like to eat partially drier fibrous fruits. The leaves of Drypetes sepiaria, Dimocarpus longan, Ficus microcarpa, Holoptelea integrifolia, and fruits and seeds of Hydnocarpus venenata, Ficus arnottiana, Macaranga peltata are known to eat by Sri Lankan subspecies. Sometimes, the troops can be seen near the water bodies, where they feed on Nelumbo nucifera seeds. Insects and everygreen leaves are eaten when others foods are less abundant and bark is only eaten when there is no other food available. The Gray Langur's diet is high in strychnine, which can be harmful to animals. Therefore, it will commonly ingest the gum of the Sterculia urens to counteract the effects. This gum is marketed in England as a prescription laxative known as Normacol.

Predators. …