Phayre’s Leaf Monkey

Phayre’s Leaf Monkey Latest News

Recently, it was found that rapid habitat destruction forces arboreal Phayre’s leaf monkey to alter its habits.

About Phayre’s Leaf Monkey

• Phayre’s leaf monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei) is a species of Old World monkey which is diurnal and arboreal.
• Other names: The primate is known as chasma bandor (in Bengali) and chasma-chakuwa bandar (in Assamese).
• Appearance: It has a white coloration around the ventral, mouth, and eye area. The broad ring-shaped patches around the eyes resemble spectacles.
• Habitat: It inhabits tropical, deciduous, and evergreen forests and can also be seen in bamboo clusters and rubber plantations.
• Distribution: It is found in North-East India (mainly found in Tripura, Assam and Mizoram), Eastern Bangladesh, and Western Myanmar.
• Diet: It feeds primarily on young leaves, shoots, and flowers, occasionally consuming fruits and seeds.
• Behavior: Phayre’s leaf monkeys are very shy and typically flee when threatened. They spend over 75% of their time feeding within tree tops.
• Its specialised multi-chambered stomach enables it to digest fibrous leaves efficiently, contributing to nutrient cycling and seed dispersal in the ecosystem.
• Threats:  habitat loss, forest fragmentation and hunting

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Conservation Status of Phayre’s Leaf Monkey

• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix II

Source: DTE