Bengal Sacred Langur

• Common Name: Bengal Sacred Langur
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1797
• Monkey Size: 45.1 to 78.4 cm (17.8 to 30.9 inches)
• Skin Color(s): Silver-gray
• Habitat: Forests rainforests, and shrublands
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: India, Bangladesh

The Bengal sacred langur^[1], also known as Hanuman’s langur and the northern plains gray langur, is a primate species in the Cercopithecidae family.

• The Bengal sacred langur has a silvery gray coat with a distinctive yellow tint and black faces, ears, fingers, and toes.
• Unlike other gray langurs, this species lacks a crest. They have white facial hair and darker hair on their backs.
• Their bellies are reddish-gold in color. Small babies are brown in color, and their fur turns gray as they grow. They possess long gray tails around one and a half times the length of their body and are used for locomotion and balance.
• Their wide mouths turn sideways, giving them a stern and slightly sullen expression.

• The Bengal sacred langurs are often referred to as “Hanuman’s langurs“, named after Lord Hanuman – the Hindu god.
• They have flexible social organization and can live in groups composed of only males, multiple females, and males, or multiple females and a single male.
• Originally thought of as a single species, scientists now recognize eight species of gray langurs in the Semnopithecus genus.
• Bengal sacred langurs are believed to have been introduced by Hindu pilgrims on the banks of the Jalangi River in western Bangladesh.
• Reproduction in the Bengal sacred langurs is linked to food availability. Therefore, only when females have enough food and are in good condition can they reproduce.