Semnopithecus entellus (Dufresne, 1797)

Adult Fur Features

Adults of Semnopithecus entellus, the northern plains gray langur, have mostly light-colored fur, with darker fur on the back and limbs; their face, ears, hands, and feet are all black.

Infant Fur Features

Infants have brown fur.

Body and Tail Length

Head-and-body length (excluding the tail) ranges from 45.1 cm (17.8 in) to 78.4 cm (30.9 in), while tail length falls between 80.3 cm (31.6 in) and 111.8 cm (44.0 in).

Adult Weight

Adult males weigh 16.9 kg (37 lb) to 19.5 kg (43 lb), and adult females weigh 9.5 kg (21 lb) to 16.1 kg (35 lb).

Native Range in India

This species’ native range covers a large portion of India south of the Himalayas, extending south to the Tapti River and the Krishna River.

Range in Pakistan

It has also been recorded in Tharparkar, Pakistan.

Introduced Range in Bangladesh

It is thought to have been introduced to western Bangladesh by Hindu pilgrims on the bank of the Jalangi River.

Natural Habitats

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

Activity and Habitat Use

The northern plains gray langur is diurnal, and it is both terrestrial and arboreal.

Grooming Behavior

Females groom members of both sexes, but males do not groom other individuals.

Group Types

This species can form several different group types: multi-male multi-female groups, one-male multi-female groups, all-male groups, or solitary males.

Group Structure

One-male groups are the most common, and total group size can exceed 100 individuals.

Dispersal Patterns

When males reach maturity, they typically leave their natal group, while females usually stay in their natal group.

Female Dominance Hierarchy

Young adult females are typically dominant over older females.

Infanticide Behavior

When a new male takes over a group, he may commit infanticide of young fathered by previous males; this behavior is less common when the takeover happens gradually over several months.

Core Diet Components

Northern plains gray langurs eat primarily fruits and leaves.

Dry Season Survival Adaptation

They can survive on mature leaves, which allows them to persist through the dry season.

Supplementary Diet Items

Their diet also includes seeds, flowers, buds, bark, and insects such as caterpillars.

Human-Sourced Food

Humans often feed them fruits and vegetables, and some groups get a substantial portion of their diet from food provided at temples or from raiding crops.

Breeding Patterns

Groups with access to abundant year-round food (such as those provisioned by temples or able to raid crops annually) breed throughout the year.

Birth Seasonality

Groups living in natural forests typically give birth between December and May.

Gestation Period

The gestation period is around 200 days.

Alloparenting Behavior

Females who are not the mother alloparent infants for the first month of life.

Weaning and Maturity

Weaning occurs at around 1 year of age, and males reach maturity at around 6 to 7 years old.

Association with Chital Deer

Northern plains gray langurs often associate with chital deer. Both species respond to each other’s alarm calls: chitals appear to benefit from the vigilance of male langurs watching for predators from trees, while langurs benefit from chitals’ better senses of smell and hearing.

Association with Rhesus Macaques

This species has also been observed grooming with rhesus macaques.