One of the 6 macaques on WAnimals
Mammals · Primates · Cercopithecidae
Lion-tailed Macaque
Macaca silenus
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The lion-tailed macaque or wanderoo is endemic to the rainforests of the Western Ghats of India. It is unmistakable: black fur, a spectacular silver-grey mane framing the face and a tail ending in a tuft like a lion's. It is the most arboreal of the macaques and also the most selective: it depends on the fruit of particular primary-forest trees, which leaves it unable to adapt to degraded woodland. Its habitat is fragmented into tiny patches among tea and coffee plantations.
Weight
3 kg – 10 kg
Size
45 cm – 61 cm
Lifespan
30 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Estimated population
Fewer than 4,000 mature individuals
Fun facts
- It is one of the most arboreal and most demanding of the macaques: while other macaques thrive in temples and cities, this one does not survive outside the primary forest of the Ghats.
- Its silver mane frames the face from the cheeks to the chin and keeps growing throughout life, at its most spectacular in adult males.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Humid evergreen montane rainforest of the Western Ghats, in south-west India
- Sexual maturity
- 3.9 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 5.8 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 1
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaca_silenus
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Lion-tailed Macaque — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Nilgiri Langur
Semnopithecus johnii
Least ConcernNorthern Plains Gray Langur
Semnopithecus entellus
Phayre’s Leaf-monkey
Trachypithecus phayrei
EndangeredAsian Elephant
Elephas maximus
EndangeredDhole
Cuon alpinus
Least ConcernRhesus Monkey
Macaca mulatta
How to help
The lion-tailed macaque is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 7 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about lion-tailed macaque.
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