Tufted Langur
Semnopithecus priam
Silhouette: Kai R. Caspar · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderPrimates
- FamilyCercopithecidae (Old World Monkeys)
- GenusSemnopithecus (Grey and Nilgiri Langurs)
- SpeciesSemnopithecus priam (Tufted Langur)
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
About the Tufted Langur
The tufted gray langur (Semnopithecus priam), also known as Madras gray langur, and Coromandel sacred langur, is an Old World monkey, one of the species of langurs. This, like other gray langurs, is mainly a leaf-eating monkey. It is found in southeast India and Sri Lanka. It is one of three Semnopithecus species named after characters from The Iliad, S. hector and S. ajax being the others. In Sinhala it is known as හැලි වඳුරා (Heli wandura).
There are two subspecies, Semnopithecus priam priam in India, and Semnopithecus priam thersites from Sri Lanka. There are two theories about the evolution of these two subspecies. According to one theory, Semnopithecus priam arose from subspecies Semnopithecus vetulus philbricki. With the glacial fluctuations, and far apart from the Indian subcontinent, pushed two taxa apart, but both retained key adaptation to folivory, and a ruminant-like stomach. Thereafter, S. priam invaded India, when there was a land bridge and there split off into two subspecies of S. priam. In the other theory, Sri Lankan subspecies S. priam thersites evolved from the endemic S. vetulus, whereas, Indian subspecies S. priam priam evolved from... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Tufted Langur in Udawalawe National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Udawalawe National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 6 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Arignar Anna Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Bannerghatta Zoo | 🇮🇳 India |
Closest Relatives at Udawalawe National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Tufted Langur in Udawalawe National Park?
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Tufted Langur sighting in Udawalawe National Park on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 15 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Tufted Langur in Udawalawe National Park?
December
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Tufted Langur in Udawalawe National Park on a given day, against about 10% in October and November, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Tufted Langur?
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tufted Langur sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Udawalawe National Park the best place to see a Tufted Langur?
3rd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Tufted Langur sightings, Udawalawe National Park ranks 3rd at about 60%. The best odds are in Yala National Park (Sri Lanka, about 80%) and Wilpattu National Park (Sri Lanka, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Where does the Tufted Langur sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tufted Langur is recorded against all the mammals logged in Udawalawe National Park (43 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.


