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Biology

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Delacour's langur has a unimale social system, in which the small group consists of one male, multiple females and their offspring, numbering a total of only three to six individuals (6) (7). The remaining males form all-male bands, from which individuals will eventually invade unimale groups to replace the leader. Males reach reproductive maturity at five years, females at four. A reproductive peak exists between January and June and, after a gestation period of 170 to 200 days, females usually give birth to a single offspring (2). This diurnal species has a predominantly folivorous diet (7) but will also feed on shoots, fruit, flowers and bark (2). Like other members of the Colobinae subfamily, Delacour's langur has evolved a complex stomach and enlarged salivary glands to aid the digestion of tough leaf material (7).
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Conservation

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Four areas where Delacour's langurs are protected include: Cuc Phuong National Park, Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Hoa Lu Cultural and Historical Site, and the recently-established Van Long Nature Reserve, which is believed to contain the largest remaining population of around 70 individuals (5) (8). Unfortunately, protected areas often suffer more from poaching than unprotected areas because their dense population of wildlife is seen as more profitable (2). Thus, conservation groups are working to increase the level of protection and law enforcement within these protected areas. The Van Long Nature Reserve is now well guarded by rangers, largely funded by the Frankfurt Zoological Society. The Pu Luong Nature Reserve also employs a large number of rangers, which are helping to save the small remaining populations (8). These are encouraging steps towards helping the survival of Delacour's langur, listed as one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world (8). Recent commitments by the Vietnamese government and several international conservation organisations to do more to protect Delacour's langur have greatly increased the chances of saving this rare and remarkable species (2).
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Description

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Found only in north-central Vietnam, Delacour's langur is one of the rarest and most endangered primates on Earth (4) (5). This striking black and white coloured langur is distinguished from other black Asian langurs by its characteristic white lower back and outer thighs (2). As a result of this distinctive colouration, the Vietnamese frequently refer to this species as “Vooc Mong Trang”, meaning 'the langur with white trousers'. The white cheek hairs are also slightly longer than in other black Asian langurs (2) and the thickly furred tail is unique among this genus (4). Newborns differ from adults, being brownish in colour (6), with more white fur on the head (7). Feet and hands in this species are slim and the thumb is reduced (7).
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Habitat

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This arboreal langur lives in tropical forests around limestone cliffs (known as karst forest) (1) (7). While occupying trees during the day, Delacour's langur will usually come down to the ground at night to sleep in the caves of limestone cliffs (7).
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Range

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Endemic to north-central Vietnam (4).
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Status

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Classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).
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Threats

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With as few as 270 to 300 estimated individuals remaining in 19 isolated populations, and 14 of these populations predicted to disappear in the next decade, Delacour's langur is dangerously close to extinction (1) (8). During the 1990s, when Vietnam opened itself up to the international community and the Chinese economy started to boom, traders and poachers moved in to utilise Vietnam's biodiversity (4). Poachers killed this langur not only for meat, but also for bones, organs and tissues that are used in traditional medicines (8). Hunting has reduced in recent years with increasing legal protection but continues to pose a significant threat. Habitat loss is also a danger to this species, with the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-WCMC) estimating that a total of 30,000 hectares of forest are destroyed each year in Vietnam (4). The clearing of forests to accommodate human commercial and residential growth continues to separate the remaining populations of Delacour's langur, which are now at risk of becoming too small to be viably sustainable (2). Sixty percent of Delacour's langurs occur in isolated populations of fewer than 20 individuals. The loss of these sub-populations, and consequently 60 percent of the whole population, is feared likely in the near future without management, strict regulations and law enforcement (5).
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Delacour's langur

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Delacour's langur or Delacour's lutung (Trachypithecus delacouri) is a critically endangered species of lutung endemic to northern Vietnam.[1] It is named for French-American ornithologist Jean Théodore Delacour.

Physical description

Delacour's langur is somewhat larger than its two closest relatives, François' langur and the Laotian langur, but in other respects has a similar appearance. Adults measure from 57 to 62 cm (22 to 24 in) in head-body length, with a tail 82 to 88 mm (3.2 to 3.5 in) long. Males weigh between 7.5 and 10.5 kg (17 and 23 lb), while the females are slightly smaller, weighing between 6.2 and 9.2 kg (14 and 20 lb). Their fur is predominantly black, with white markings on the face and distinctive creamy-white fur over the rump and the outer thighs, while females also have a patch of pale fur in the pubic area. Like other closely related lutungs, Delacour's langur has a crest of long, upright, hair over the forehead and crown; this is, however, somewhat taller and narrower than in other species.[3][4]

Distribution and habitat

Delacour's langur is endemic to Vietnam, where it is found only in an area around 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi) in the provinces of Ninh Bình, Hà Nam, Hòa Bình, Thanh Hóa, and Hà Tây in the north of the country. The largest surviving population is thought to live in Van Long Nature Reserve in Ninh Bình, where the it inhabits open forest up to elevations of 328 m (1,076 ft) in terrain dominated by limestone karst.[2][3]

Behaviour

Delacour's langurs are diurnal, often spending the day sleeping in limestone caves, although they sleep on bare rocky surfaces if no caves are available. They are folivorous, with about 78% of the diet reportedly consisting of foliage, although they also eat fruit, seeds, and flowers.[5] The monkeys have been reported to eat leaves from a wide range of different plant species, indicating that their apparent dependence on limestone habitats is not related to their diet.[6]

In previous decades, Delacour's langurs were reported to live in troops of up to 30 individuals, often including a mix of males and females, although single-male groups are more common, and some small all-male groups have also been reported. In more recent years, the typical group size seems to be much smaller, with only about four to 16 members each. Males defend the troop's territory from outsiders, often standing watch on rocky outcrops. When potential rivals are spotted, the males in a troop initially try to intimidate them with loud hoots and visual displays, resorting to chasing and fighting if this fails. Within the group, social bonds are maintained by grooming and play.[3]

Despite living in forested habitats, Delacour's langurs are primarily terrestrial, only occasionally venturing into the trees. They swing by their hands when travelling through trees, and use their tails for balance when scrambling over steep rocky terrain, which may allow them to move more rapidly than other related lutungs.[3]

Reproduction

Females give birth to a single young after a gestation period of 170 to 200 days. The young are born with orange fur, and are precocial, with open eyes and strong arms. The fur begins to turn black at around four months, and the young are probably weaned at 19 to 21 months, when the mother is likely ready to breed again. However, the full adult coat pattern is not achieved for around three years. Females reach sexual maturity at four years, and males at five years; the total life expectancy is around 20 years.[3]

Conservation

The population of Delacour's langurs has declined rapidly in recent years. As of 2006, only 19 populations were known, following a dramatic decline in the total population of approximately 20% between 1999 and 2004.[7] Since that time, two of the populations have been extirpated, and only that in the Van Long Nature Reserve may still be large enough to remain viable.[3]

Classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, the primary threat to the species is hunting for traditional medicine, with loss of forest habitat and the local development of tourism also being a potential risk.[2] As of 2010, less than 250 animals[8] were believed to remain in the wild,[2] with nineteen in captivity.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 177. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ^ a b c d Nadler, T.; Quyet, L.K.; Rawson, B.M. & Coudrat, C.N.Z. (2020). "Trachypithecus delacouri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22043A17958988. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T22043A17958988.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harding, L.E. (2011). "Trachypithecus delacouri (Primates: Cercopithecidae)". Mammalian Species. 43 (1): 118–128. doi:10.1644/880.1.
  4. ^ Groves, C. (2007). "Speciation and biogeography of Vietnam's primates" (PDF). Vietnamese Journal of Primatology. 1 (1): 27–40. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  5. ^ Workman, C.; Dung, L.V. (2009). "The chemistry of eaten and uneaten leaves by Delacour's langurs (Trachypithecus delacouri) in Van Long Nature Reserve, Vietnam" (PDF). Vietnamese Journal of Primatology. 1 (3): 29–36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-01.
  6. ^ Workman, C. (2010). "Diet of the Delacour's langur (Trachypithecus delacouri) in Van Long Nature Reserve, Vietnam". American Journal of Primatology. 72 (4): 317–324. doi:10.1002/ajp.20785. PMID 20027639. S2CID 21816554.
  7. ^ Mittermeier, R.A.; Wallis, J.; Rylands, A.B.; Ganzhorn, J.U.; Oates, J.F.; Williamson, E.A.; Palacios, E.; Heymann, E.W.; Kierulff, M.C.M.; Long Yongcheng; Supriatna, J.; Roos, C.; Walker, S.; Cortés-Ortiz, L.; Schwitzer, C., eds. (2009). Primates in Peril: The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates 2008–2010 (PDF). Illustrated by S.D. Nash. Arlington, VA.: IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group (PSG), International Primatological Society (IPS), and Conservation International (CI). pp. 1–92. ISBN 978-1-934151-34-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23.
  8. ^ "Primates in Peril - The World's Most Endangered Primates 2014-2016" (PDF). IUCN. IUCN. Retrieved 6 June 2016.

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Delacour's langur: Brief Summary

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Delacour's langur or Delacour's lutung (Trachypithecus delacouri) is a critically endangered species of lutung endemic to northern Vietnam. It is named for French-American ornithologist Jean Théodore Delacour.

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