Macaca silenus

Primarily diurnal and highly arboreal, lion-tailed macaques spend most of their time in the upper canopy, moving carefully along branches and rarely descending to the ground. They forage mainly for ripe fruit but supplement their diet with leaves, insects and small vertebrates; social life centers on grooming, vocal signaling and close-knit family bonds within territorial troops.

Breeding is seasonal or linked to local resource peaks in many populations; females typically reach sexual maturity around 3–4 years, males later. Gestation is about 5.5–6 months (≈165–180 days), usually producing a single infant; interbirth intervals commonly span 1–2 years given extended maternal care.

Adults show moderate sexual dimorphism (males larger than females). Distinctive features include the prominent silver mane, a black coat, a tufted tail tip, dextrous hands, and adaptations for arboreal life (strong limbs, balance-oriented feet). Lifespan in the wild can reach ~20 years or more.

Once more widely distributed within the Western Ghats, lion-tailed macaque populations contracted with large-scale forest clearing, plantation agriculture and road/settlement expansion during the 19th–20th centuries. Long studied by primatologists, they exemplify a rainforest specialist whose ecology is tightly tied to intact, mature canopy.

Macaca silenus is classified as Endangered due to habitat loss, fragmentation, small isolated populations, and local hunting/ persecution. Conservation priorities include protecting and reconnecting remnant rainforest patches (biological corridors), managing protected areas, community engagement to reduce conflict, and targeted population monitoring and recovery programs.