Gray Hanuman Langur

• 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.

About:

• 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