Mammal
Red-shanked Douc Langur
Pygathrix nemaeusAlso known as Red-shanked Douc, Costumed Ape, Douc Langur
Widely admired for its striking palette of chestnut shanks, white forearms, and a golden-orange facial mask, this arboreal primate moves through the high forest canopy with extraordinary agility. Troops are multi-male and multi-female, coordinating daily foraging through subtle visual displays, soft contact twitters, and mutual grooming. They rarely descend to the ground, relying on a specialized multi-chambered stomach to ferment and extract nutrients from high-fiber tropical leaves.
Canopy DwellerSocial PrimateHerbivore
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Critically EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXCritically EndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyYoung Ficus leaves, Wild forest fruits, Dipterocarp flowers
Predators
- Clouded Leopard
- Dhole
- Crested Serpent Eagle
ThreatsIllegal hunting for traditional medicine and meat, habitat loss, pet trade
HabitatsTropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, and karst limestone forests
Life span20–25 years
Classification
- FamilyCercopithecidae
- SpeciesPygathrix nemaeus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a respectful distance using binoculars or spotting scopes.
- What to notice
- Look for brilliant reddish-brown legs below the knee, gleaming white forearms, an orange-yellow face, and a long white tail.
- Support conservation
- Never share precise GPS coordinates of sightings publicly, keep at least 30 meters distance, and never attempt to feed wild troops.
Responsible observation
- Canopy Scanning: Focus on middle and upper tree layers in early morning when troops feed actively.
- Silent Approach: Move quietly along marked trails, as abrupt sounds cause groups to flee silently into deep cover.
- Ethical Guiding: Hire licensed local community rangers to view them, ensuring your visit supports protection against poaching.
Predator "Clouded Leopard catching the light" by charlieishere@btinternet.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Neighbor (c) Ladislav Král, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Food Source no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子 · cc0
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Close Relative (c) Huey, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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