Lion-Tailed Macaque

Category: Environment and Ecology — Endangered Species

The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) is an endemic primate of India's Western Ghats. Its distinctive silver-white mane around the face resembles a lion's mane.

Key facts

  • Scientific name: Macaca silenus.

  • Distribution: Evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of the Western Ghats in southern India.

  • Indian states: Mainly Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

  • Habitat: Tropical rainforests, especially mature forest canopies.

  • Diet: Fruits, seeds, leaves, insects and other small animal matter.

  • IUCN status: Endangered.

  • It is an important seed disperser and contributes to forest regeneration.

Major threats

  • Habitat loss and fragmentation.

  • Roads, dams and other infrastructure that divide forest habitats.

  • Human–wildlife conflict and the isolation of small populations.

Conservation

  • Protected areas and wildlife corridors help maintain connected populations.

  • Conservation programmes focus on habitat protection, population monitoring and reducing fragmentation.

UPSC key pointers

  • The lion-tailed macaque is endemic to the Western Ghats.

  • It is an arboreal primate adapted to forest-canopy life.

  • It is different from the Nilgiri langur, another primate found in southern India's forests.

  • The Western Ghats is a global biodiversity hotspot.