Selangor silvered langur

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Selangor silvered langur
Silver langur with baby.jpg
Mother and baby at Bukit Melawati in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiiformes
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Trachypithecus
Species group: Trachypithecus cristatus group
Species:
T. selangorensis
Binomial name
Trachypithecus selangorensis
Roos, Nadler & Walter, 2008

The Selangor silvered langur (Trachypithecus selangorensis) is a species of leaf monkey found on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It had been previously considered a form of silvery lutung. Roos and colleagues elevated this population to a subspecies level, Trachypithecus cristatus selangorensis, in 2008. [2] [3] It has since come to be regarded by primatologists as a separate species, Trachypithecus selangorensis. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Description

The Selangor silvered langur has a gray body with a black face and black feet and hands. [2] The type specimen had a head and body length of 50.6 centimetres (19.9 in) and a tail that was 70.4 centimetres (27.7 in) long. [2] The closely related silvery lutung has an average head and body length of 48.9 centimetres (19.3 in) for females and 54.4 centimetres (21.4 in) for males. [7] The silvery lutung has an average weight of 5.7 kilograms (13 lb) for females and 6.6 kilograms (15 lb) for males. [7] The Selangor silvered langur differs from the silvery lutung in the shape of its whiskers. [2] The Selangor silvered langur has long, straight whiskers while the silvery lutung has mussel-shaped whiskers. [2] The two species also differ genetically. [2]

Infants are born with a very different color pattern than the adults. They have bright orange fur with white faces, hands and feet. [8] The infant coloration transforms to the adult coloration over its first 3 to 5 months, starting with the head, hands and feet. [8] All members of the group participate in the care of the infants, including females other than the mother and the dominant male. [8] One theory for the reason for the orange infant coloration is that it may attract other females to help look after the infant. [9]

Distribution

This langur's distribution is restricted to the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia in Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Melaka, Perak and Kedah. [4] [2] [10] It is arboreal and prefers mangrove and riparian forests, but is also sometimes found on plantations. [10] It eats mostly leaves, but also fruit, seeds, flowers and even dried wood. [8] [10] [11] At Bukit Melawati, feeding the Selangor silvered langurs is a popular tourist activity. [12] [13] [14] [15] The Selangor silvered langurs at Bukit Malawati are among the few wild leaf monkey populations to have experienced continual habituation to humans. [15] They will sometimes willingly touch and climb on visitors, in addition to approaching to beg for food. [15]

Behavior

Like most leaf monkeys, the Selangor silvered langur typically lives in groups with a single adult male and multiple adult females and their juvenile offspring. [16] A study by Sterck and Van Hooff found that it was more likely than most to live in groups with more than one adult male. [16] In some cases, a former dominant male was permitted to stay with the group after a younger male became dominant. [16] In some cases, new young adult males were permitted to join the group without toppling the dominant male. In other cases younger males, presumably sons of the dominant male, were permitted to stay with the group for some time after reaching adulthood. [16] More typically young males are ejected from the group by the dominant male upon reaching adulthood. [16] Similarly aged males tend to leave their natal group together and join new groups together. [16] Groups are territorial, with little overlap between the territories of different groups. [8] A study by Lord Medway indicated that Selangor silvered langur infant births do not show a seasonal pattern [17]

Besides feeding and caring for infants, the activity budget of Selangor silvered langurs includes playing, transportation, resting, vocalizing and grooming. [8] Juveniles of both sexes participate in most of the playing and even infants that are only a few weeks old engage in play. [8] Play can include wrestling and other play fighting and juvenile males are the most active participants in this type of play. [8] A study by Bernstein at Bukit Melawati found that much play occurs on the ground and that whenever the group was on the ground and undisturbed the juveniles engaged in play. [8] Monkeys of all ages, including infants and the dominant male, engage in grooming. [8] Grooming sessions typically involve two monkeys but sometimes involve three or four. [8] At times of distress the monkeys often embrace each other. [8]

A study by Lee Harding observed that when Selangor silvered langurs encounter the smaller long-tailed macaques the langurs generally move away without fighting. [3] On the other hand, Bernstein found that the two monkey species sometimes travel together and even feed in the same trees at times. [3]

Conservation status

A study by Khan published in 1978 suggested that the population in West Malaysia had declined from about 6,000 individuals to about 4,000 between 1958 and 1975. [3]

Related Research Articles

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Old World monkey is the common English name for a family of primates known taxonomically as the Cercopithecidae. Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons, red colobus and macaques. Common names for other Old World monkeys include the talapoin, guenon, colobus, douc, vervet, gelada, mangabey, langur, mandrill, surili (Presbytis), patas, and proboscis monkey. Phylogenetically, they are more closely related to apes than to New World monkeys. They diverged from a common ancestor of New World monkeys around 45 to 55 million years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proboscis monkey</span> Primate species

The proboscis monkey or long-nosed monkey is an arboreal Old World monkey with an unusually large nose, a reddish-brown skin color and a long tail. It is endemic to the southeast Asian island of Borneo and is found mostly in mangrove forests and on the coastal areas of the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray langur</span> Genus of Old World monkeys

Gray langurs, also called Hanuman langurs and Hanuman monkeys, are Old World monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent constituting the genus Semnopithecus. Traditionally only one species Semnopithecus entellus was recognized, but since about 2001, additional species have been recognized. The taxonomy has been in flux, but currently eight species are recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-shanked douc</span> Species of Old World monkey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple-faced langur</span> Species of Old World monkey

The purple-faced langur, also known as the purple-faced leaf monkey, is a species of Old World monkey that is endemic to Sri Lanka. The animal is a long-tailed arboreal species, identified by a mostly brown appearance, dark face and a very shy nature. The species was once highly prevalent, found in suburban Colombo and the "wet zone" villages, but rapid urbanization has led to a significant decrease in the population level of the monkeys. It had traditionally been classified within the lutung genus Trachypithecus but was moved to the genus Semnopithecus based on DNA evidence indicating that is it more closely related to the gray langurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colobinae</span> Subfamily of Old World monkeys

The Colobinae or leaf-eating monkeys are a subfamily of the Old World monkey family that includes 61 species in 11 genera, including the black-and-white colobus, the large-nosed proboscis monkey, and the gray langurs. Some classifications split the colobine monkeys into two tribes, while others split them into three groups. Both classifications put the three African genera Colobus, Piliocolobus, and Procolobus in one group; these genera are distinct in that they have stub thumbs. The various Asian genera are placed into another one or two groups. Analysis of mtDNA confirms the Asian species form two distinct groups, one of langurs and the other of the "odd-nosed" species, but are inconsistent as to the relationships of the gray langurs; some studies suggest that the gray langurs are not closely related to either of these groups, while others place them firmly within the langur group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lutung</span> Genus of Old World monkeys

The lutungs, langurs, or leaf monkeys are a group of Old World monkeys in the genus Trachypithecus. Their range is much of Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gee's golden langur</span> Species of Old World monkey

Gee's golden langur, also known as simply the golden langur, is an Old World monkey found in a small region of Western Assam, India and in the neighboring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan. Long considered sacred by many Himalayan people, the golden langur was first brought to the attention of the western world by the naturalist Edward Pritchard Gee in the 1950s. Adult males have a cream to golden coat with darker flanks while the females and juveniles are lighter. It has a black face and a long tail up to 50 cm (19.69 in) in length. It lives in high trees and has a herbivorous diet of ripe and unripe fruits, mature and young leaves, seeds, buds and flowers. The average group size is eight individuals, with a ratio of several females to each adult male. It is one of the most endangered primate species of India and Bhutan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilgiri langur</span> Species of Old World monkey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatinh langur</span> Species of Old World monkey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvery lutung</span> Species of Old World monkey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Javan langur</span> Species of Old World monkey

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References

  1. ↑ Ang, A.; , Nijman, V.; & Traeholt, C. (2021). "Trachypithecus selangorensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T205911038A205911065. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T205911038A205911065.en . Retrieved 17 July 2022.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Roos, Christian; Nadler, Tilo & Walter, Lutz (2008). "Mitochondrial phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of the silvered langur species group (Trachypithecus cristatus)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 47 (2): 629–636. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.03.006. PMID   18406631 . Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Harding, Lee E. (January 2010). "Trachypithecus cristatus (Primates: Cercopithecidae)". Mammalian Species. 42 (1): 149–165. doi: 10.1644/862.1 . JSTOR   mammalianspecies.42.1.149.
  4. 1 2 Roos, C.; Boonratana, R.; Supriatna, J.; Fellowes, J.R.; Groves, C.P.; Nash, S.D.; Rylands, A.B. & Mittermeier, R.A. (2014). "An updated taxonomy and conservation status review of Asian primates" (PDF). Asian Primates Journal. 4 (1): 2−38. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  5. ↑ Fleagle, John G. (2013). Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press. p. 137. ISBN   9780123786333.
  6. ↑ Strier, Karen B. (2016). Primate Behavioral Ecology. Routledge. ISBN   9781317327103.
  7. 1 2 Rowe, Noel (1996). The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates . Pogonias Press. p.  187. ISBN   978-0964882508.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Bernstein, Irwin N. (1968). "The Lutong of Kuala Selangor". Behaviour. 32 (1/3): 1–16. doi:10.1163/156853968X00054. JSTOR   4533239.
  9. ↑ Smith, Harriet (2009). Parenting for Primates. Harvard University Press. p. 116. ISBN   9780674043800.
  10. 1 2 3 Shepherd, Chris R. & Shepherd, Loretta Ann (2017). A Naturalist's Guide to the Primates of Southeast Asia. John Beaufoy Publishing. pp. 68–69. ISBN   9781909612242.
  11. ↑ Sebastian, Andrew (2013). Richmond, Simon; et al. (eds.). Lonely Planet Discover Malaysia & Singapore. Lonely Planet. ISBN   9781743216590.
  12. ↑ "Bukit Melawati". visitselangor.com. 2017-04-12. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  13. ↑ "Bukit Melawati – Kuala Selangor , Selangor Malaysia". JourneyMalaysia.com. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  14. ↑ Leong, Ewe Paik (2017). "More than fireflies in Kuala Selangor". New Straits Times . Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  15. 1 2 3 Md. Zain, Badrul Munir; Mohd. Daut, Norlinda & Md. Nor, Shukor (2009–2010). "Characterizing Silvered Leaf Monkey–Visitor Interactions at Bukit Melawati, Kuala Selangor, Malaysia" (PDF). The Journal of Wildlife and Parks. 26: 83–94. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sterck, Elizabeth & Van Hooff, Jan (2000). "The number of males in langur groups: monopolizability of females or demographic process?". In Kappeler, Peter M. (ed.). Primate Males: Causes and Consequences of Variation in Group Composition. Cambridge University Press. pp. 123–129. ISBN   9780521658461.
  17. ↑ Lord Medway (August 1970). "Breeding of the Silvered Leaf Monkey, Presbytis cristata, in Malaya". Journal of Mammalogy. 51 (3): 630–632. doi:10.2307/1378413. JSTOR   1378413.
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