Page 13 - Jan - March 2021

VOL. 18 No. 1

SACRED LANGUR DID YOU KNOW?
Langurs are found as high as
These are also known as Hanuman Langurs or Hanuman monkeys. 14,000 feet above sea level in the
They are native to the Indian subcontinent and inhabit ranges of Himalayas, where they are often
habitats wider than any other primate. Let us read more about them. mistaken to be Yetis.

Scientifi c Name: Semnopithecus entellus
Common Name: Northern Plains Gray Langur, Hanuman UNIQUE BONDING
langur
Habitat: South of Himalayas and north of River Tapi. Grey langurs share a special relationship with Chital.
Chital often rely on them for food. This is known as
gleaning, where deer wait under trees for the monkeys
ACROBATIC ANIMALS to drop some food, which they then consume. They

These Grey langurs use their long tails to balance on high are also known to make loud sounds as an alarm in
branches. Their tails are sometimes more than three feet the face of threat. This warns the Chital too.
long. Even the word ‘langur’ is derived from the Sanskrit
word ‘languin’, which means having a long tail.
FOOD HABITS
CAMOUFLAGE AND
They are considered to be
PREDATORS folivores as they primarily eat
leaves, for which they have
These langurs have a dark grey ‘sacculated’ stomachs that
or black face. Their fur is either help them digest. This kind of a
yellow, golden, brown, grey, diet does not give them much
red, or even black. This depends energy, which is why grey
on the surroundings as it helps langurs are not very active.
them camoufl age and hide from However, like other monkeys,
predators. Their great eyesight their food habits vary based
and hearing skills helps them spot on what is available. They are
threats easily. They are active in the also known to lick stones for
daytime, and spend their nights on important minerals and salts.
tree tops to stay safe from predators. During the monsoons, they eat
Veda Kumar Prabhakar, Class 7, M.Ct.M. insects. They also have poison-
Chidambaram Chettyar International proof stomachs for extreme
School, Chennai; Arnav Garg, Class 6E, Amity
International School, Saket, New Delhi environments.

WALK OR RUN ACTIVITY:

Grey langurs spend half LANGUR-DEER
their life on trees, half on NOT A DROP TO BOND
the ground. They hop when
they are on their two feet, DRINK! After reading about
but they prefer running the unique relationship
Grey langurs don’t drink
over walking. They can hop water. They get their intake between a Grey langur
up to 15 feet! and a Chital, make a
of water through the food little comic strip of a
Hakimuddin Naeem Hirani, Class 8A, they eat, dew drops, and
Center Point School, Wardhaman conversation between
Nagar, Nagpur rainwater that accumulates the two in a forest.
on leaves.

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