For some odd reason, I had a strong desire to write about a cute little monkey today. And let’s face it, the Dusky Leaf Monkey definitely fits this description…I mean, just look at their adorable little face. If you are interested is seeing one of these monkey’s first hand, then you may need to take a trip to Malaysia, Myanmar or Thailand. Although, you could also check your local zoo as these species can often be found entertaining numerous visitors on a daily basis. The Dusky Leaf Monkey has a few other names including, Spectacled Langur and the Spectacled Leaf Monkey.

In Need of an Optometrist

The “Spectacled” portion of their name comes from the white ring around their eyes, which looks a little like eyeglasses….or spectacles. Besides the glasses, this monkey also has white coloration surrounding their mouth and of course on their chest. The rest of their fur is typically dark grey or dark brown…..unless you are a baby.

What colour are the babies?

I am so glad you asked that question. The Dusky Leaf Monkey is born with bright orange or yellow fur, which starts turning grey after about 6 months. So why are these monkey’s so brightly coloured as a baby? I have no idea! If you think you know the reason the babies need to be so colourful, let us know in the comments.

The Vegetarian

As you might expect, the Dusky Leaf Monkey loves the trees. In fact, they spend the majority of their day playing around about 35 m (115 feet) above the ground. While they are up there, they are most likely looking for some leaf shoots, tasty unripe fruit (I prefer mine to be ripe but I am not a Dusky Leaf Monkey) and scrumptious flowers to feed on.

Look Alive

Generally, the Dusky Leaf Monkey will live in a troop of 10 to 17 individuals, however, they break up into smaller groups during their foraging expeditions. As we discussed yesterday, there is safety in numbers, which offers some protection to our monkey friend. What do they need to be worried about? Well, besides humans, they have to be on the look out for snakes and large birds of prey. It is probably good to have a few extra sets of eyes when you could possibly get attacked from any direction.