Trivia question for Jul-12-2011

Olivia felt sorry for these guys after learning what they have endured in their homeland over the years so she decided to feature them in her trivia.  These are among the most sumptuously colored of all primate species, with almond-shaped eyes and powder-blue eyelids.

There are two forms of this species which are identifiable by the color of their hind legs: one has chestnut-red fur, the other black fur.  In 1995 a new form of these monkeys was discovered in a local market.  The animal was intermediate between the two known species: it may be a hybrid or a new species.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell us what this primate is and why they are on the endangered list.  Also, in 1819, the crew of a single ship killed 100 of these monkey’s in a single morning.  Tell us how that was possible when most animals will run away when being attacked?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Arnu’ from France for getting the species correctly identified.  The sumptuously colored (BTW, I had to look up the word myself to make sure it was what I thought it was… means splendid and expensive-looking:-) primate we featured is the Douc Langurs. The doucs or douc langurs make up the genus Pygathrix. Even though they are known as “douc langurs”, they are in fact more closely related to the proboscis monkey and snub-nosed monkeys than to any of the langurs.

These primates are unfortunately on the endangered list mainly due to the heavy casualties they endured during the Vietnam War where soldiers and firepower decimated the species.  Locals communities also hunted them for meat for many years.

The reason that the crew of a single ship was able to kill so many in a single morning is because a steady flow of victims were drawn from cover by the cries of the wounded langurs.  Here is more on these poor monkey’s: Douc Langurs

Thanks for playing along 😉