Classroom lesson 路 Wildlife馃嚮馃嚦 Vietnam

The langur - Vietnam's forest acrobat

A long-tailed leaf-eater that climbs limestone cliffs

What is it?

Langurs are slim, long-tailed monkeys with bright eyes and quick fingers. Several kinds live in Vietnam, including a very rare one called the Delacour's langur that lives only on the country's limestone cliffs. They spend their days climbing, leaping and eating leaves.

Tell me more

Most monkeys love fruit, but langurs are leaf specialists. Their stomachs have several chambers - a bit like a cow's - so they can slowly break down tough leaves that most other monkeys couldn't digest. That means they can find food in places where fruit is scarce.

A langur's tail is almost as long as the rest of its body. It is not for grabbing things - it works more like a balance pole, helping the langur stay steady when leaping between branches. Watch a langur jump and the tail flicks out behind it, like a kite's tail.

Vietnam's Delacour's langurs are the rarest. They live on the steep limestone cliffs of the north, like the kind that make up Ha Long Bay. They are black with bright white 'trousers' that make them look as if they're wearing little shorts. Fewer than 250 are left, which is why they are so carefully protected.

Langurs live in family groups led by the females. The whole family helps look after the babies, and the babies start their lives a different colour from the adults - bright orange! As they grow up, their fur darkens to match the grown-ups.

In the classroom

Walk your class through this in 15 minutes.

Talk together

Discussion prompts

  1. 01Why might it help, in a busy forest, to eat something that most other animals can't?
  2. 02Babies are bright orange. Why might it be useful for grown-ups to be able to spot a baby easily from far away?
  3. 03Langur families are led by the females. Can you name other animals where the mothers are in charge?
Try this

Classroom activity

On A4, draw your own 'family of langurs' on a limestone cliff. Include adults (black and white) and babies (bright orange). Give each one a name and one thing they're best at. Hold them up at the front - whose family looks most like a real one?