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Tarai Gray Langur


Tarai Gray Langur
Photo Information
Copyright: Goldy RS (goldyrs) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 573 W: 55 N: 1253] (4704)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-09
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon S2 IS
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/25 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): CeltickRanger's favorite wild animal photos, Jim Corbett, Tigers & the National Park [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-06-25 18:55
Viewed: 435
Points: 54
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Taxonomy
Kingdom: ANIMALIA
Phylum: CHORDATA
Class: MAMMALIA
Order: PRIMATES
Family: CERCOPITHECIDAE
Scientific Name: Semnopithecus Hector
Species Authority: (Dufresne, 1797)

The gray langurs are a group of Old World monkeys and make up the entirety of the genus Semnopithecus.
Gray langurs are large and fairly terrestrial, inhabiting open wooded habitats and urban areas on the Indian subcontinent. Until recently they were considered one species, Semnopithecus entellus; now seven distinct species are recognized. When only one species was recognized, it was also called the Hanuman Langur (named after the Hindu vanara divinity Hanuman), the Common Langur and the Entellus Langur. In Sri Lanka, it is natively known as the Wandura.

Description
They are largely gray, with a black face. In Indian mythology, this is because Hanuman, a monkey warrior, burnt his hands and face trying to rescue Lord Rama's wife. Males are up to 75 cm long, and females 65 cm. Langurs from the southern part of their range are smaller than those from the north.

Diet
Gray langurs feed on leaves, fruit, buds and flowers. Their diet, however, is highly seasonable, with mature leaves being eaten only as a fall-back food during the winter months. In the summer, especially before the monsoon season, they are highly frugivorous. They also supplement their diet with insects (up to 25% in some months), tree bark and gum.

Behavior and Reproduction
Though they sleep in trees, they spend more time on the ground than any other known colobine species. They are diurnal and usually walk on all fours.
They live in medium to large groups, usually with one dominant male. Males do not hold the dominant position for long in a group, with the average being about 18 months. Adolescent males who are expelled from the group sometimes form 'bachelor' packs. These packs, after a time, start to harass the group that expelled them, and challenge the alpha for leadership of the pack. If an attack by a bachelor pack is successful and they are able to kill the alpha, they will engage in a power struggle, where first all of the infants fathered by the previous alpha are killed, and then the bachelors fight among themselves, killing each other until only one remains, who then becomes the leader of the pack.
An interesting relationship has been observed between herds of Chital deer and troops of the Northern Plains Grey Langur (Presbytis entellus), a widespread leaf-eating monkey of South Asia. Chital apparently benefit from the langurs' good eyesight and ability to post a lookout in a treetop, helping to raise the alarm when a predator approaches. For the langurs' part, the Chital's superior sense of smell would seem to assist in early predator warning, and it is common to see langurs foraging on the ground in the presence of Chital. The Chital also benefit from fruits dropped by the langurs from trees such as Terminalia bellerica. Alarm calls of either species can be indicative of the presence of a predator such as the Bengal Tiger.
rcrick, Adanac, jaycee, zulfu, Argus, Miss_Piggy, gracious, SelenE, boreocypriensis, mayuresh, maurydv, pekkavalo1, bahadir, eng55, eqshannon, CeltickRanger, NinaM, sranjan, MMM, uleko, haraprasan has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1330 W: 107 N: 4802] (21322)
  • [2008-06-25 19:37]

Hello Goldy, well done on that primate shot, good pose and expression and a very well composed image, well done, thanks!

Mario

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 627 W: 42 N: 1150] (3720)
  • [2008-06-25 20:45]

Hi Goldy,

What a great shot of this Gray langurs, I love the expression on this fellows face and the way it just sits their with its hands crossed, not a care in the world and totally relaxed, just wonderful, beautiful colours with excellent detail, well framed and composed, t.f.s

Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1048 W: 1 N: 4139] (13914)
  • [2008-06-25 21:06]

Hello Goldy,
Fantastic image of this langur just sitting back relaxing. Colors and details in this great composition are excellent. Thank you for sharing Goldy.
Rick

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1785 W: 8 N: 4627] (14955)
  • [2008-06-25 21:37]

Hi Goldy,

That is some great pose and expression on his face. He looks so human! Wonderful colors, details and composition.

Jane

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 527 W: 0 N: 95] (585)
  • [2008-06-25 21:40]

Hello Goldy, wonderful shot of this gray langur on the tree. TFS. Regards,
Mehmet

Bonjour Goldy
Très expressive cette photo, la pose est belle.
merci pour nous montrer, des singes, que je rencontre pas souvent ...!!!
Amicalement
Laurent

Hallo Goldy
I find the seated pose you have captured this Langur in very interesting. The bone structure around the hip area reminds me a lot of that of a human’s. The expression captured on this animals face is actually difficult to describe as this animal looks very depressed or concerned. A very interesting animal character you have shared with us. Thanks for this contribution both with the image and the information in your note.
Best Regards
Anna

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2606 W: 133 N: 7480] (23317)
  • [2008-06-25 22:09]

Hello Goldy,
Another gem from Corbett, this time a fine capture of a Tarai Grey Langur monkey, caught in a fine peaceful pose while resting in the branches of a tree. Nice lighting, sharpness, POV and composition.
Thanks for sharing this fine image,
Ivan

Hello Goldy,
Nicely captured on the Grey Langur!
the image is good in sharpness, wonderful colour and details
well done
cheers
Tony

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2348 W: 61 N: 3801] (12188)
  • [2008-06-26 1:09]

Hi Goldy,
Nice capture showing him in the wild in his own habitat. Good POV and details . TFS
Greetings,
Selen

Hi Bro Goldy,
Perfect capture of a gray langur with wonderful clarity, great DOF and POV. TFS.
Cheers,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 921 W: 4 N: 2302] (10736)
  • [2008-06-26 4:43]

Hello Goldy,
Why the guy looks so tired or so sorrow? nice shot and from the shot it looks like you have takn from a distance.

Hello Goldy,
you have capture very good pose and expression of grey langur,good composition and lighting,
TFS

Splendido momento di cattura di questo primate, ottimi POV e composizione in ambiente naturale con un'espressione del cercopiteco molto "umana", buona nitidezza, bellissimi i colori. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

Hi Goldy,

Very nice capture of this Langur. Good pose and composition, sharp details, good lighting and colours.

TFS

Pekka

Wonderful and lovely shot of a langur Goldy. TFS.
Regards, Bahadır

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 353 W: 3 N: 376] (1127)
  • [2008-06-26 7:38]

Hi Goldy,
Very nice capture.I liked POV,exposure,lighting and expression on face a lot.Very well done!
Thanks for posting.

Good capture Goldy, he looks a bit tired, fine composition and overall image.

The face and expression thereon give it a surreal look. I have noticed this in some of it's species...perhaps it is because they tend to have some sort of almost human quality. Very nice Goldy!
bob

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1033 W: 26 N: 2998] (10820)
  • [2008-06-26 8:43]

Hello my freind,
i can't seem to keep up...tiger reserves one day, then birds and then monkeys the next! Love this one, heaps of character and a great setting..well done, keep it up.
Paul

hello Goldy

i am laughing because i love your wonderful image,
thanks to this because laughing is healthy,

this is a wonderful shot, with fine POV, DOF and framing,
excellent sharpness and details, i love this monkey's
pose (the way he is sit) and eye-contact with you, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 566 W: 0 N: 1382] (4569)
  • [2008-06-26 9:09]

This is a nice and very sweet picture of a beautiful creature, Goldy. I really really love the pose of this langur, not human but "langurian"... it makes us think about animal's intelligence. It looks as if you had asked him to pose for you and it just did, a little out of boredom. Your picture expresses much that's not being said that we could imagine. Thank you, a real nice image,

Francine

Dear Goldy,
This is unique pose of langur. He looks relaxed & has given you one of the finest studio frame shots. At Tarai, one can see them shorter in size with less hairs, when compared with Himalayan type.
Regards-Ranjan

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-06-26 22:01]

Hello Goldy

A lovely natural shot of this Grey Langur.
The focus and detail are sharp.
Nicely placed in the frame.
Excellent pov and dof.
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 755 W: 0 N: 1515] (6922)
  • [2008-06-27 7:35]

Hi Goldy
Nice composition.Good POV and sharp image.I like the eye contact you had with the subject,
TFS Michel

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2465 W: 168 N: 7448] (23526)
  • [2008-06-27 10:15]

Hello Goldy,
Great capture of this beautiful Langur looking very relaxed but a bit sad! Excellent focus and a fine composition. Interesting information in your note too.
Many thanks and regards, Ulla

Hi Goldy,
A nice capture of this beautiful langur. Very good details and a nice composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

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