The Purple-faced langur is an arboreal species, meaning it primarily lives in trees and rarely descends to the ground.
Unique facts
Scientific name: Semnopithecus vetulus
It has a specialized digestive system with a multi-chambered stomach and unique bacteria that allow it to consume and extract nutrients from a diet consisting mostly of leaves.
It has four subspecies, each found in a different geographical zone of Sri Lanka, including the western, southern, dry-zone, and montane races.
The montane subspecies, found in places like Horton Plains, is also known as the "bear monkey" due to its shaggy, dark coat adapted to the colder climate.
