Indian Monkeys

Indian Monkeys: India, officially known as the Republic of India, is the second-most populous country in the world, with a population of over 1.3 billion. In addition to its historical architecture, delicious food, and generally vibrant culture, India is also known for its diverse flora and fauna.

For one, it is home to 19 species of Old World monkeys; 6 of them are endemic to the nation. Examples of these endemic species include the Nilgiri langur (Semnopithecus johnii), the bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata), and the lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus).

India has many cultural and religious ties with monkeys as a Hindu-dominant country. For instance, the Hanuman langur, one of India’s most widespread monkey species, was named after Hanuman, a powerful part-monkey deity in Hinduism^[1].

However, it should also be noted that the Hanuman langur, along with many other monkey species of the country, is facing endangerment due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, urbanization, and other human-caused issues^[2].

Here is the list of all monkey species native to the sub-continent India.

Arunachal Macaque

Species Name: Macaca munzala

The Arunachal macaque is a comparatively sizeable brown primate with a relatively short tail. Arunachal macaques were first classified into Cercopithecidae’s taxonomy in 2005 by primatologists Madhusudan and Mishra.

Assam Macaque

Species Name: Macaca assamensis

The Assam macaque, also known as Assamese macaque, is a macaque of the Old-World monkey family endemic to South and Southeast Asia. Assam is another state in India. Eating everything from fruits to 55 types of flowers, leaves, seeds, and bark, these macaque monkeys adapt their diet to suit their habitat.

Bengal Sacred Langur

Species Name: Semnopithecus entellus

The Bengal sacred langur, also known as Hanuman’s langur and the northern plains gray langur, is a primate species in the Cercopithecidae family. The Bengal sacred langurs are often referred to as “Hanuman’s langurs”, named after Lord Hanuman – the Hindu god.

Black-footed Gray Langur

Species Name: Semnopithecus hypoleucos

The black-footed gray langur is an Old-World monkey, one of the langur species. Like other gray langurs, this species is a leaf-eating monkey in southern India. The black-footed gray langur is distributed throughout southwestern India (Kerala, Karnataka, and Goa) but is concentrated in the Western Ghats.

Bonnet Macaque

Species Name: Macaca radiata

The Bonnet Macaque, also called Zati, is a species of macaque native to southern India. Bonnet macaques get their common name from a unique feature: a hood-like tuft of hair that extends from the top of their head, much like a tuft of dry grass. Their marble-round eyes look out into the world with a very expressive forehead.

Capped Langur

Species Name: Trachypithecus pileatus

The capped langur is a type of monkey in the Cercopithecidae family. These langurs can vary in appearance. This Asian primate gets its name from the thick hairs on the top of the head, typically gray or black.

Gee's Golden Langur

Species Name: Trachypithecus geei

Gee’s golden langur, also known simply as the golden langur, is an Old-World primate found in a small area of western Assam, India, and in the nearby foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan. Gee’s golden langur was officially discovered in 1953 by Edward Pritchard Gee, an amateur naturalist and tea planter in Assam, India.

Kashmir Gray Langur

Species Name: Semnopithecus ajax

The Kashmir gray langur is an Old-World monkey, one of the species of langurs. The Kashmiri gray langur derives its scientific name, Semnopithecus ajax, from a character in the ancient Greek poem – The Iliad – set during the Trojan War.

Lion-Tailed Macaque

Species Name: Macaca silenus

The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), also known as the wanderoo, is an Old World monkey native to the Western Ghats of South India. Lion-tailed macaques are diurnal and arboreal.

Nepal Gray Langur

The Nepal gray langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) is a gray langur native to the Himalayas of Nepal, extreme southwestern Tibet, northern Pakistan, northern India, Bhutan, and possibly Afghanistan. The Nepal gray langur is both terrestrial and arboreal.

Nilgiri Langur

Species Name: Semnopithecus johnii

The Nilgiri langur (Semnopithecus johnii), also called the black-leaf monkey, John’s langur, and Indian hooded leaf monkey is a langur (a species of Old-World monkey) found in the Nilgiri foothills of the Western Ghats in southern India.

Northern Pig-tailed Macaque

Species Name: Macaca leonina

The northern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina) is a macaque species in the Cercopithecidae family. Typical of this group of Old World monkeys, northern pig-tailed monkeys are gregarious, living in social groups of 9-81 individuals.

Phayre's Langur

Species Name: Trachypithecus phayrei

Phayre’s leaf monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei), also called the Phayre’s langur, is a species of Lutung endemic to South and Southeast Asia. The name commemorates the late Sir Arthur Purves Phayre, a lieutenant general in the British Indian Army and commissioner of the entire province of former British Burma.

Rhesus Macaque

Species Name: Macaca mulatta

The rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), commonly known as the rhesus monkey, is a species of Old-World monkey. Rhesus monkeys are diurnal animals, both arboreal and terrestrial.

Stump-tailed Macaque

Species Name: Macaca arctoides

The stump-tailed macaque, also known as the bear macaque, is an Old World monkey endemic to Cambodia, northeastern India, southwestern China, Myanmar, and Laos, from northwestern Peninsular Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Tarai Gray Langur

Species Name: Semnopithecus hector

The Tarai gray langur (Semnopithecus hector) is an Old-World monkey and was once thought to be a subspecies of the northern plains gray langur. The Latin name for Tarai gray langurs is inspired by Hector, the prince of Troy.

Tufted Gray Langur

Species Name: Semnopithecus priam

The tufted gray langur (Semnopithecus priam), also called the Coromandel sacred langur and the Madras gray langur, is an Old-World monkey, one of the langur species. These langurs are generally shy and only descend when there is no visible danger.

Western Hoolock Gibbon

Species Name: Hoolock hoolock

are three species of primates in the Hoolock genus of the gibbon family, Hylobatidae, endemic to Myanmar, eastern Bangladesh, northeastern India, and southwestern China.

White-Cheeked Macaque

Species Name: Macaca leucogenys

The white-cheeked macaque (Macaca leucogenys) is found only in Medog County in southeastern Tibet and the Arunachal Pradesh state of India. The species was first discovered and described by Chinese primatologists Peng-Fei Fan, Cheng Li, and Chao Zhao in the American Journal of Primatology in 2015.

Cite this page

Bio Explorer. (2026, January 1). Indian Monkeys. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/india/

Key References

^[1] – “Hanuman langur | Zoological Society of London (ZSL)”. Accessed August 25, 2022. Link.
^[1] – “Use of Nonhuman Primates in Biomedical Research in India: Current Status and Future Prospects – International Perspectives – NCBI Bookshelf”. Accessed August 25, 2022. Link.

Indian Monkeys

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