Fun Francois Leaf Monkey Facts For Kids

The Francois leaf monkey (Trachypithecus francoisi), or Tonkin leaf monkey, is an Endangered species of monkey that can be found in the Guangxi province of China, Laos, and northern Vietnam. Belonging to the family Cercopithecidae, the populations of these langurs can be seen living in densely populated forest areas, lowland limestone caves, and in valleys. Their populations and range are steadily declining, with less than 2,000 of these langurs left in the world.

They are arboreal in nature and can be found swinging, resting, and grooming each other in and around the trees of the forest. They remain largely unstudied, with their behavior towards humans unknown.

To learn more about these mysterious monkeys, read on! For more relatable content, check out these patas monkey facts and capuchin monkey facts for kids.

What type of animal is a Francois leaf monkey?

The Francois langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) is a species of primate belonging to the family Cercopithecidae, which can be found in parts of Southeast Asia.

What class of animal does the Francois leaf monkey belong to?

The Francois leaf monkey is a type of primate and belongs to the class of mammals.

How many Francois leaf monkeys are there in the world?

The current population of this primate species is estimated to be between 2,000-2,100 individuals in the world. There is a distribution of approximately 500 of them in Laos, between 1,400-1,650 in Guangxi province in China, and around 60 in captivity in northern America.

Where do Francois leaf monkeys live?

The Francois langur distribution can be found ranging from southeast China to northern Vietnam, with Laos in the middle.

What is a Francois leaf monkey's habitat?

The Francois leaf monkey habitat is arboreal, meaning these primates spend most of their time living in trees and are rarely spotted on the ground. The geographic range of these langurs has been observed to fall within densely vegetated forests and limestone caves, tropical lowlands, and valleys.

Who does the Francois leaf monkey live with?

The Francois langur lives in one-male group consisting of multiple females, the male, and their offspring. Despite there being one male in the pack, the group is female-led, with the lead female deciding the social structure of the group. Outside males will frequently attack the lone male of the group in order to take his place as the new male of the pack. These groups live in trees in the forest or in limestone caves, grooming, feeding, and resting together.

How long does a Francois leaf monkey live?

Francois leaf monkeys are known to live for up to 25 years of age, with the highest age recorded being around 26 years.

How do they reproduce?

The monkeys of this species mature when they are between four to five years of age. Mating takes place all year round, with most activities happening during fall and winter. The females usually initiate mating, and after the process carry the infant for around six to seven months until they are ready to give birth. These primates take part in breeding only once a year, and only one child is born per female. In the groups, each female will mate with the same male.

What is their conservation status?

Due to many factors such as predation, hunting and habitat loss, the population of these langurs is suffering from a steep decline. According to the IUCN Red List, the conservation status of this species has been listed as Endangered, with less than 2,000 individuals left in its range of habitat. A plan to protect and repopulate this species, known as the Conservation Action Plan was formed in 1996, but it still remains to be implemented.

What does the Francois leaf monkey look like?

These animals are quite small, with the males being slightly larger than the females. Their fur can range in color from black, brown, or dark gray with a white stripe running from their ears to the corner of their mouths. They also have a white crest present above their eyes that look like eyebrows. The François leaf monkey infants are always golden-orange in color and possess a long black tail.

Monkeys of all colors have long, black tails which are tipped with white. They have hairless hands with opposable thumbs and short forelegs. They also have a small head with no cheek pouches, which makes them easily distinguishable.

How cute are they?

Like all other primates, these small-statured monkeys are quite cute. The infants with their golden fur and large round eyes are remarkably adorable, clinging to their mothers as they climb from branch to branch.

How do they communicate?

Unfortunately, not much is known about the communication habits of this monkey species. We can assume that they communicate using vocal and visual cues like all other primate species.

How big is the Francois leaf monkey?

The Francois langur is small primate and its body measuring in the range of 15.7-29.9 in (40-76 cm).

How fast can a Francois leaf monkey move?

These monkeys are quite fast and agile and can be observed swinging through the trees with great speed.

How much does a Francois leaf monkey weigh?

These monkeys are known to weigh between 9.5-30.9 lb (4.3-14 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no particular names for either males or females of this species.

What would you call a baby Francois leaf monkey?

Baby Francois leaf monkey babies are known as infants.

What do they eat?

The François langur is omnivorous in nature, feeding mostly on foliage, fruits, blossoms as well as insects occasionally. This primate has a specially reinforced stomach with two different chambers, with the upper chamber hosting a special bacteria which breaks down the consumed leaves so they can be easily digested in the lower chamber by normal stomach acids.

Are they dangerous?

The behavior of these monkeys towards humans is unknown, however, they are known to be quite aggressive towards monkeys outside of their small groups. Males may engage in combat in order to determine who takes the place of the sole male in the particular groups.

Would they make a good pet?

No, these monkeys are Endangered in the wild and it is not advised to keep them as pets. Keeping Endangered animals is illegal in many areas as it may cause a decline in its natural population. Wild animals such as monkeys mostly do not make good pets because they are not able to adjust to urban living conditions. They feel comfortable and at home in their natural habitats, which we may not be able to recreate in our surroundings. They prefer living among their own kind and foraging for food, and have some tendencies due to which they may not be able to adjust even after attempting to train and domesticate them. It is better to observe these langurs from a distance.

Did you know...

The population of these animals has been on a steady decline for 30 years due to hunting, predation, and habitat loss. Efforts are currently being taken for its conservation however they have not been implemented yet. Some more endangered monkey species are the howler monkey, northern brown howler and the colobus monkey, and the Bioko red colobus.

Why is it called the Francois leaf monkey?

The François leaf monkey species (Trachypithecus francoisi) is named after Auguste François, who was the French consul in Lungchow, Southern China, during the 19th century.

Is the Francois leaf monkey endangered?

Yes, these langurs are severely Endangered, with their population declining rapidly. This has occurred largely due to mass hunting of this species, with the natives of Nonggang believing that its bones had medicinal value. These animals have also been predated upon by clouded leopards and eagles, and it is losing its habitat due to the destruction of limestone cliffs and forests by hunters who set fire to the base of the hills while cultivating their crops.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our red-tailed monkey fun facts and woolly monkey interesting facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable monkey coloring pages.

Second image by Yinan Chen