Shan State Langur

• Common Name: Shan State langur
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1909
• Monkey Size: 44 to 61 cm (17.3 to 24 in)
• Skin Color(s): Silvery-blue
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Myanmar, China

The Shan State Langur^[1] (Trachypithecus melamera) is a primate species in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in southwestern China and eastern Myanmar.

• It was generally considered a subspecies or a synonym of Phayre’s leaf monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei) until Roos et al. elevated it to species status in 2020.
• Nature has created a fascinating creature in the Shan State Langur. The infants are darling, wrapped in tangerine-colored fur coats.
• Around 3 months, their fur develops into a silky, silvery-blue coat with random brown spots. The bottom of the overalls is white, tinted with light brown tones.
• Adults wear a soft dark gray cap on top of their heads, giving them a soft punk rock look. Their elusive long tail is the same shade of dark gray as the punk rock hat they wear.
• But it is the face of Shan State Langur that charms and seduces.
• Nature powdered the skin around the monkey’s dark, inquisitive eyes with large white rings that contrast with a blue-black outline that also paints the bridge of the monkey’s nose.
• Nature has powdered the area around the white monkey’s mouth using the same pressed powder she used around the eyes.
• She then placed some whiskers on his chin to complete Shan State Langur’s alluring face.

• Shan State langurs are very shy and usually run away when threatened.
• They spend more than 75 percent of their time foraging in the treetops. This variety rarely leaves the safety of the trees, only doing so when its requirements are not met or to fill gaps in the canopy.
• Shan State Langurs are strongly territorial towards other groups of the same species. However, sympatric groups of other species may share the same territory.
• The group size of Shan State Langur ranges from 8-22 members. A dominant male leads the group, which consists of 3-6 adult females and a mix of sub-adults, infants, and juveniles.
• Females are often closely related, but their dominance hierarchy is unknown. They rarely leave their natal group.