Miller's langur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miller's langur |
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| Conservation status | |
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Presbytis
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| Species: |
canicrus
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| Range shown in light green (i.e., for P. h. canicrus) | |
Miller's langur (Presbytis canicrus) is a type of leaf monkey. It is also called the Miller's grizzled langur or Kutai grey langur. This special monkey lives only in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. It is one of the most endangered primates in the world. People once thought it was extinct, but it was found again in 2012!
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What is Miller's Langur?
Miller's langur is a kind of leaf monkey. It belongs to a family of monkeys called Cercopithecidae. It is part of a smaller group called Colobinae. This group includes monkeys that mostly eat leaves.
This langur was once thought to be a type of Hose's langur. Its full scientific name was Presbytis hosei canicrus. But scientists like Colin Groves and Christian Roos studied its body shape. They found it was different enough to be its own species. So, it became Presbytis canicrus.
Where Miller's Langur Lives
Miller's langur lives only on the island of Borneo. Specifically, you can find it in the East Kalimantan province of Indonesia.
These monkeys prefer to live in dipterocarp rainforests. These are special forests with tall trees. They can live in these forests up to about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) high.
How to Identify Miller's Langur
Miller's langur is a medium-sized monkey. Its body, not including its tail, is about 48 to 56 centimeters (19 to 22 inches) long. Its tail is quite long, from 65 to 84 centimeters (26 to 33 inches).
Male langurs weigh about 6 to 7 kilograms (13 to 15 pounds). Females are a bit lighter, weighing 5.5 to 6 kilograms (12 to 13 pounds).
Its fur is mostly gray on its back. It looks a bit "grizzled" or speckled. The fur on its belly is whitish. The top part of its face is black. The lower part of its face is whitish and forms a U-shape under its nose. It also has a brown patch on the top of its head, like a crown. Baby Miller's langurs are white. They have a black cross shape on their backs.
Daily Life and Diet
Miller's langurs spend most of their time in the trees. They are active during the day. This means they are arboreal (live in trees) and diurnal (active during the day). They usually stay in the middle or upper parts of the forest canopy.
Their main food source is young leaves and new leaf shoots. They also enjoy eating unripe fruit. Sometimes, they eat other things like eggs, seeds, and flowers.
These monkeys typically live in small groups. A group usually has 5 to 12 monkeys. There is often one adult male in charge of the group. The average group size is about 8 monkeys. Any males not in a group usually live alone.
Miller's langurs sometimes share their home with other leaf monkeys. These include the maroon leaf monkey and the white-fronted surili. They have even been seen using salt licks together. Salt licks are places where animals go to lick minerals from the ground.
Protecting Miller's Langur
Miller's langur is listed as endangered by the IUCN. This means it is at high risk of becoming extinct. The main reasons are that its home is being destroyed and broken up. People also hunt them. It is one of the rarest primates in Borneo.
For a long time, people thought this monkey was extinct. But in 2012, a team of scientists found it again! They found it in Wehea Forest in East Kalimantan, Borneo. This forest was actually outside the area where the langur was thought to live. Before, people thought it only lived in Kutai National Park.
The scientists used cameras and mineral licks to prove the species still existed. It was hard to identify them from photos. This was because very few pictures of Miller's langur existed before.
Experts worry that Miller's langur could become extinct very soon. This is due to many problems. Forests are being cut down, which destroys their homes. They are also hunted for food. Some people also hunt them for "bezoar stones." These are smooth, hard mineral deposits found in the stomachs of some animals. People use them as good luck charms. They also believe these stones can stop poisons. But only a few monkeys actually have these stones.
Even though Indonesian law protects Miller's langur, the protection might not work well. This is because the law lists it under an old scientific name, P. aygula.
In October 2019, explorer Forrest Galante led a trip. He recorded the first video of a Miller's langur in the 21st century. This was a big step in learning more about these rare monkeys.
