Capped Langur-Bhutan, Bhutan

The capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It is also called as Bonneted Langur, Capped Leaf Monkey, Capped Monkey. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. They are arboreal and gregarious by nature. A herd of capped langur consists of 2 to 14 langurs led by a brawny male langur. They are herbivorous, ingesting leaves, twigs, buds and fruits. The capped langur is a large monkey, with males bigger than females. The face is black, with sharply contrasting paler, buff to reddish cheeks. The head is blackish with long, erect coarse hairs directed backwards in what looks like a cap, and hence the name. The dorsal colour varies from light ashy-grey to blackish. The outer side of the thigh and shoulder as well as the distal half of the tail is deep grey or blackish. The ears, palms, and soles are black. The colour of the ventral parts varies in the subspecies, ranging from cream to reddish. Infants are a uniform creamy-white, with a golden hue. The face, ears, palms, and soles are pinkish. The head and body length of males ranges from 60-70 cm., while that of females is 50-65 cm. The tail is longer than the combined length of the head and body, 94-104 cm. in males and 78-90 cm. in females. Males weigh 11-14 kg. and females 9.5-11.3 kg.

A study of their diet in winter found that they spend nearly 40% of the day time feeding on leaves, flowers and fruits. Leaves contributed nearly 60% of the diet and they foraged on as many as 43 different plant species. Due to habitat loss and hunting in some areas, the capped langur is evaluated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.