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.
