Purple-faced Lutung
Semnopithecus vetulus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderPrimates
- FamilyCercopithecidae (Old World Monkeys)
- GenusSemnopithecus (Grey and Nilgiri Langurs)
- SpeciesSemnopithecus vetulus (Purple-faced Lutung)
The purple-faced langur (Semnopithecus vetulus), also known as the purple-faced leaf monkey, is a species of Old World monkey that is endemic to Sri Lanka. The animal is a long-tailed arboreal species, identified by a mostly brown appearance, dark face (with paler lower face) and a very shy nature. The species was once highly prevalent, found in suburban Colombo and the "wet zone" villages (areas with high temperatures and high humidity throughout the year, whilst rain deluges occur during the monsoon seasons), but rapid urbanization has led to a significant decrease in the population level of the monkeys. It had traditionally been classified within the genus Trachypithecus but was moved to the genus Semnopithecus based on DNA evidence indicating that is it more closely related to the gray langurs. In Sinhala, it is known as ශ්රී ලංකා කළු වඳුරා [kalu ʋaⁿd̪uraː] (Sri Lanka black monkey). Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Purple-faced Lutung sighting in Wilpattu National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Wilpattu National Park
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 5 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Purple-faced Lutung in Wilpattu National Park?
About 21% of wildlife watchers report a Purple-faced Lutung sighting in Wilpattu National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Purple-faced Lutung in Wilpattu National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Purple-faced Lutung in Wilpattu National Park in our monthly data.