Mammals Active during the day

Capped Lutung

Trachypithecus pileatus

iNaturalist Wikipedia

Featuring a striking black crown and a golden-orange belly, the Capped Lutung is the stylish acrobat of the Himalayan foothills. This shy, leaf-eating primate lives life in the high canopy, moving with silent grace through the forests of South Asia.

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0 Habitats

Quick Identification

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Size

Head-to-body length 50–70 cm (20–28 in); tail length 70–100 cm (28–39 in); weight 10–14 kg (22–31 lbs)

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Colors

Dark charcoal-grey to slate back; pale cream, golden, or orange underparts; black facial skin; distinctive black crown of hair.

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Key Features

Erect black 'cap' of hair on the crown
Long tail significantly exceeding body length
Bright orange or golden-yellow ventral side contrasting with dark back
Absence of white eye-rings common in other langurs

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 7-10 AM, 3-6 PM

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Season Year-round

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Diet A specialized folivore that feeds on young leaves, fruits, seeds, and flowers from at least 43 different plant species.

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Habitat Primary and secondary subtropical and tropical dry forests, moist deciduous forests, and dense riverine woodlands.

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Where Does the Capped Lutung Live?

The Capped Lutung is a jewel of the Asian tropics, native to the lush, hilly regions of the eastern Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its range is centered in the subtropical forests of northeastern India, including the states of Assam and Meghalaya, and extends through the kingdom of Bhutan and the northern forests of Bangladesh. These primates are also found in the northwestern regions of Myanmar, where they thrive in the foothills of the Himalayas and surrounding river basins. They are year-round residents of these areas, relying on stable forest ecosystems for their survival.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

4 Countries

140K km² Range

Vulnerable Conservation

IN India Bhutan Bangladesh Myanmar

Elevation range

0 m1,000 m2,000 m4,000 m

200 m – 2,000 m

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

The Capped Lutung is a highly arboreal and diurnal primate, spending nearly its entire life in the safety of the upper forest canopy. They are social creatures, typically living in small troops of 2 to 15 individuals led by a single dominant male. Unlike more aggressive macaque species, lutungs are generally shy and peaceful, spending a significant portion of their day quietly foraging for leaves or grooming one another to reinforce social bonds.

Their movement through the trees is a spectacle of agility; they use a combination of quadrupedal walking along thick branches and impressive leaps to cross gaps in the canopy. While they are wary of humans, they have been known to persist in forest fragments near villages, provided the tree cover remains dense enough to allow them to travel without descending to the ground.

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Camera Tips

Capturing the Capped Lutung requires looking up rather than down. Because these primates are strictly arboreal, traditional ground-based trail camera setups will rarely succeed. Instead, mount your camera 10 to 20 feet high on a sturdy tree trunk, ideally overlooking a known 'canopy bridge'—a place where branches from neighboring trees overlap, allowing the troop to cross between forest patches.

Focus your efforts on identifying their favorite food sources. During the dry season, cameras positioned near trees producing fresh young shoots or wild figs will yield the best results. Since lutungs move in groups, set your camera to take multiple photos or a longer video clip (20-30 seconds). Often, a scout will cross first, followed by the rest of the troop a few minutes later, providing ample time for the sensor to trigger.

Lighting can be tricky in the dense shade of the forest. Use a camera with a high-quality sensor and fast trigger speed to avoid blurred images during their high-speed leaps. If possible, angle the camera slightly downward from a higher branch to capture the striking contrast between their dark grey backs and their bright golden bellies. Midday is usually their rest period, so expect the most dynamic movement and social interactions during the cooler morning and late afternoon hours.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Capped Lutung.

Phayre's Leaf Monkey

Phayre's Leaf Monkey has prominent white rings around the eyes and lacks the golden-orange belly of the Capped Lutung.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Capped Lutungs are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. They exhibit peak activity in the early morning (7-10 AM) and late afternoon (3-6 PM) when they move through the canopy to feed. They typically spend the hottest part of the midday resting and grooming in the shade.

Because they are strictly arboreal and shy, they are difficult to attract to standard suburban backyards. However, if you live near their native forest range, preserving tall, native fruit-bearing trees and maintaining a continuous canopy 'bridge' across your property is the best way to encourage a passing troop to visit.

Their diet is primarily folivorous, consisting mostly of young leaves. They supplement this with seasonal wild fruits, seeds, and flowers. They are known to feed on over 40 different types of forest plants depending on the time of year.

No, they are generally forest specialists. They are rarely seen in open suburban areas unless those areas contain significant fragments of mature forest that connect to larger wilderness areas. They avoid coming to the ground whenever possible.

The easiest way to identify the Capped Lutung is by its 'cap'—a distinct patch of long, coarse black hair on top of its head that stands out against its grey back. Unlike the Phayre's Leaf Monkey, it lacks white rings around its eyes, and it has a much brighter orange or creamy underbelly than the common Grey Langur.

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