Gray langur | |
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Alpha male langur | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Family: | Cercopithecidae |
Subfamily: | Colobinae |
Genus: |
Semnopithecus Desmarest, 1822 |
Type species | |
Simia entellus Dufresne, 1797 |
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Species | |
Semnopithecus schistaceus |
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Rough distribution of the genus |
Semnopithecus schistaceus
Semnopithecus ajax
Semnopithecus hector
Semnopithecus entellus
Semnopithecus hypoleucos
Semnopithecus dussumieri
Semnopithecus priam
Semnopithecus vetulus
Gray langurs or Hanuman langurs, the most widespread langurs of the Indian Subcontinent, are a group of Old World monkeys constituting the entirety of the genus Semnopithecus (from Ancient Greek σεμνός semnós, “revered, august, holy”, and πίθηκος píthēkos, “ape, monkey”). All taxa have traditionally been placed in the single species Semnopithecus entellus. In 2001, it was recommended that several distinctive former subspecies should be given species status, so that seven species are recognized. A taxonomic classification with fewer species has also been proposed.Genetic evidence suggests that the Nilgiri langur and purple-faced langur, which usually are placed in the genus Trachypithecus, actually belong in Semnopithecus.
Gray langurs are large and fairly terrestrial, inhabiting forest, open lightly wooded habitats, and urban areas on the Indian subcontinent. Most species are found at low to moderate altitudes, but the Nepal gray langur and Kashmir gray langur occur up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) in the Himalayas.