Lang’s Red Colobus

• Common Name: Lang’s Red Colobus
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1925
• Monkey Size: 48.5 to 50 cm (20 to 19.1 in)
• Skin Color(s): Orange/maroon
• Habitat: Forest, scrub forest
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo

Lang’s red colobus^[1] (Piliocolobus langi) is a species of red colobus monkey.

• Historically, it was treated as a subspecies of the Central African red colobus (Piliocolobus foai). Still, more recent taxonomies generally treat it as a distinct species.
• Currently, primatology recognizes 18 species of red colobus monkeys. They are all somewhat similar in appearance.
• Although their color is also quite similar, each has its own distinctive pattern that easily distinguishes them from the others.
• Lang’s red colobus monkeys have darker gray fur coats on their backs than on their chests. This gray pattern continues along its tail.
• On their face, feet, and hands, their fur gives way to dark gray skin. Tufts of gray fur frame their round faces.
• Their round, circled eyes are particularly dark. In addition, all Colobin monkeys share several traits, including a significantly reduced thumb, long hind legs, and a long tail.

• Lang’s red colobus lives in the lowland rainforest of the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, between the Aruwimi Ituri River and the Lualaba River.
• They spend all their time in the trees, only venturing to the forest floor when they need to get to another part of the forest. As such, they are acrobatic jumpers and dextrous climbers.
• Their long tails give them exceptional balance as they leap through the treetops for food.
• Although diurnal, these African primates take long breaks during the day and lounge on branches after meals to digest their lush foliage.
• The researchers hypothesize that the highly playful nature of red colobus monkeys may be an evolutionary consequence of their diet.