Monday, July 16, 2012

කලු වඳුරා/කොළ වඳුරා[Kalu Wandura/Kola Wandura]/Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus vetulus)


Purple-faced Leaf Monkey is widely distributed in forests, villages and sometime even in urban areas where there are tall trees with abundant food sources (Such as jak fruit,Mango, etc.) throughout the island excluding northern peninsula. Four different subspecies have been identified and Walas wadura or Bear Monkey (T.v. monticola) inhabiting central mountain region of the country is larger than two of other lowland supspecies (Southern Purple-faced Leaf Monkey [T.v.vetulus] found south of the Kalu river to about Ranna of Hambanthota district  while Balangoda being the north-eastern limits and Western Purple-faced Leaf Monkey [T.v. nestor] of the south western wet zone, Kalu ganga being the southern boundary and inland lower hills towards the Kandyan hills). Northern purple-faced Leaf Monkey (T.v.philbricki) inhabiting in northern areas of the island while Mahaweli valley being its southern and eastern boundary is the largest of the four subspecies . It generally found in small groups under dominant alpha male with several females and young, sometime up to about 30-40 individuals. In most areas it is very shy and never approach people and disappears to the jungles once the presence of man is detected. It feeds mainly upon the leaves, flowers and fruits and seeds of the trees. Possibly they may eat insects and tree frogs (Phillips W.W.A., 1980). Other than man who hunts it for flesh and skins, its only enemy is the leopard. The albino or semi-albino individuals are(were) not uncommon among all subspecies.

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