THE NILGIRI LANGUR | Presbytis johnii

THE NILGIRI LANGUR

Diurnal and seen in all the habitat types in Kerala. The territorial call of the male “ Hoo-hoo-hoo” can

Be heard from distance in early morning and evening.

Scientific name : Presbytis johnii

Local name : Karim kurangu, kari manthi.

Habitat : Wet evergreen, semi –evergreen and deciduous forest.

Distribution : All over Kerala in the forested areas from an elevation of 90 m above MSL.

Indirect evidences: Droppings, discarded leaf and fruit parts on the ground and calls.

Droppings : Similar to hanuman langur but difficult to locate in the forest areas. Being the more abundant, foot paths and rocks along streams. More often look like cow dung,with no invertebrates and usually flattened on the substrate.

Colour : Grey, green or black.

Foot prints : Foot prints are not traceable in the wild since these monkeys seldom come down .

Calls : “Hoo…hoo…hoo…” Distinct calls heard from a distances will help us to identify these monkeys. Produces of a shrill sound by all the members of a troop whenever a bird of prey soars over the canopy., or when a predator is sighted.