Impurest's Guide to Animals - Issue #85 Red Shanked Douc

Hmm well it looks as if September is going to be a rainier repeat of August, which to be honest was rainy enough. Last week the sinister Harlequin Shrimp was the star of the issue. This week a ‘quinn’ of another type (@quinnofthestoneage in this instance) has requested this issue. Hope you guys enjoy the issue…

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Issue #85 – Red Shanked Douc

Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum – Chordata

Class – Mammalia

Order – Primates

Family – Crecopithecidae

Genus – Pygathrix

Species –nemaeus

Related Species – The Red Shanked Douc is one of the numerous old world monkeys that include langurs, baboons and mandrills (1)

Range

Douc

The Red Shanked Douc is a medium sized monkey, with a body length of 60cm, and an average body weight of 8-9kg. The species is often called the ‘costumed ape’ due to its colourful appearance, with a golden face (complete with blue eyelids), red legs and white arms coupled with a grey back. The two genders are almost identical, only differing by the markings on the rump, with the male having a triangle of white spots which the female doesn’t have (2). Red Shanked Douc’s have never been seen on the ground, and it is assumed that the species is completely arboreal.

Red Shanked Douc’s are completely herbivorous, with leaves making up to 75% of their diet, with the species also feeding on flower buds, bamboo stems and fruit, as well as getting all its water from its food. The species doesn’t possess cheek pouches like many other species, and instead relies on digesting food in its large stomach which gives the animal a pot-bellied appearance, not to mention creating a large amount of gas during fermentation.

Red Shanked Douc’s live in groups, and share food as well as working together in group defence. Both males and females care for their young, including orphaned animals, and all individuals partake in social grooming. Female Doucs initiates breeding by lying face down on a branch, and shooting her chosen partners encouraging looks (2). Douc’s are considered sexually mature at five years, and the animal can live up to twenty-five years in the wild.

Five Fun Red Shanked Douc Facts

The word ‘Douc’ is a Vietnamese word (pronounced ‘dook’) for monkey (3)

When threatened an entire troop of Red Shanked Douc’s can move through the canopy almost soundlessly

Red Shanked Douc’s can leap up to 6m (20 feet) in a single bound

Like many other primates, the Red Shanked Douc recognises loss, with both males and females mournfully howling for days after their mate is removed or killed

Red Shanked Douc’s populations declined severely during the Vietnam War, with numerous populations being whipped out by liberal spraying of the defoliant Agent Orange (4)

References

1. www.arkive.org

2. Gron, K. J. (2009). "Primate Factsheets: Douc langur (Pygathrix)"

3. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Douc

4. Ngoc Thanh, V., Lippold, L., Timmons, R. J. & Manh Ha, N. (2008). Pygathrix nemaeus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Picture References

1. http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/img/109123_352033.jpg

2. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Red-shanked_Douc_area.png/220px-Red-shanked_Douc_area.png

3. http://www.baodanang.vn/dataimages/201410/original/images1074923_1_1.jpg

4. http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/48/48F10E9E-EE1E-4760-BEF5-C3F903C1EA4B/Presentation.Large/Red-shanked-douc-jumping-between-trees.jpg

Well that’s the Red Shanked Douc and it’s laid backed attitude to life. Next week we have a fish out of water, but until then remember to critic, comment and discuss future species to cover as well as checking out past issues in Impurest’s Bestiary.

Many Thanks

Impurest Cheese

@cbishop,@laflux,@ostyo,@wildvine,@darling_luna,@samimista,@cattlebattle,@xwraith,

@cgoodness,@mslola,@squares,@scorpion2501,@darthaznable,@scattered316,@bumpyboo,

@knightsofdarkness2,@wolverine08,@dboyrules2011,@joshuadbr,@nighthunder,@johnjo719,

@itsomething,@delphic,@dngn4774,@bruxae,@jaken7,@ccraft,@wim_garnet,@claymore1998,

@ironspiderchan45,@dccomicsrule2011,@hylian,@transcendence,@rd189,@unbreakable_fs4,

@quinnofthestoneage,@fuzzylittlerodent,@the_kidd,@rd189,@thetruebarryallen,@thevivas, @korrasami,@swordmasterd,@veitha, @thedandyman,@infinityball,@scavengerfist,@masterkungfu, @orpheus_knightfall, @themongoose,@rocketraccoonthingy, @JetiiMitr, @waynewilsonslade and @black_wreath

Let's Monkey Around

Cute monkey :D

Looks like a good kind of pet to use as a hanchman.

*tries to bribe the monkey with several bananas

Very ape. ^_^

I've always loved monkeys

@wolverine08: They are indeed

@rocketraccoonthingy: These are the foods a Red Shanked Douc should avoid

No bananas, rice, bread, nuts or primate pellets

Their bodies can't process the fat in bananas very well so it's a rejected bribe

@hylian: Yeah lots of people do

@black_wreath: Indeed

@impurestcheese: Dang it!

*crosses out the Red Shanked Douche off the list.

I'll ask the fish on your next. *wink*

@rocketraccoonthingy: Sure it's pretty unfussy on what it eats

I want to be reincarnated as one

@cgoodness: Yeah its a fairly easy life to be sure

Nice as always.

@dboyrules2011: Cool thanks for that

Little red pants !

: D

@darling_luna: Yes you could say that, and speaking of animals wearing clothes, next weeks issue has epaulettes!!

@impurestcheese: Really cool. And I just want you to know that working in a comic shop now which also sells Pokemon cards, I tell some of the customers about the Pokemon cards you make at the end of these posts. :)

@cbishop: Cool thanks, what do they say?

NIce, they can pass as a Chimchar :D

@scavengerfist: Perhaps they could...

@impurestcheese: And then we could make them evolve and they'll have their revenge against those illegal loggers XD

@scavengerfist: Yeah seems pokemon-esque

Mainly: "Really? Huh. Cool." Without seeing them, it's kind of lost on them. ;)

They are very handsome. Plus, their social structure is admirable as well.

@cbishop: Ah well that's cool then

@ms-lola:They are indeed

would love to see some leaping action

@masterkungfu: Yeah it would be quite impressive