The Primates of Vietnam Vietnam has with its 25 taxa (species and subspecies) the highest number of primate taxa of the countries located on the Southeast Asian mainland. For some taxa, it’s still in discussion whether they to place on species or subspecies level, respectively. The taxonomic position depends on the preferred species concept being used. Following the phylogenic species concept there are 24 species recognized, and one species, the long-tailed macaque with two subspecies. Five of the species are endemic to Vietnam, and they are also listed among the 25 world’s most endangered primates. The IUCN Red List lists 7 taxa as “Critically Endangered”, 9 taxa as “Endangered”, 7 taxa as “Vulnerable” and only 2 taxa as “Least Concern”. Lorises Pygmy loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) Slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) Macaques Stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides) Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis) Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) Long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) Northern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina) Langurs Delacour's langur (Trachypithecus delacouri) Golden-headed langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus) Indochinese silvered langur (Trachypithecus germaini) Annamese silvered langur (Trachypithecus margarita) Grey langur (Trachypithecus crepusculus) Francois' langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) Hatinh langur (Trachypithecus hatinhensis) Black langur (Trachypithecus ebenus) Douc langurs Black-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nigripes) Grey-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinerea) Red-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus) Snub-nosed monkeys Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus) Gibbons Western black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) Eastern black crested gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) Yellow-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae) Northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys) Southern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus siki)
Key = This species is endemic to Vietnam = Primates of this species are currently kept at the EPRC Map indicates the distribution of the species in Vietnam
Lorises Lorises are small, slow moving, and tree dwelling primates that feed mainly on insects and fruit. Lorises are nocturnal and sleep rolled up in a ball during the day. Two species of lorises are found in Vietnam: The pygmy loris and the slow loris.
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		Pygmy loris Nycticebus pygmaeus Key features: Head & body length 210-290mm; fine, orange-brown hair; faint or dark dorsal stripe (young pygmy lorises and pygmy lorises in summer fur doesn’t have a dorsal stripe). IUCN Red List: Vulnerable Vietnam Red Data Book: Vulnerable
Adult female, U.Streicher
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		Slow loris Nycticebus bengalensis Key features: Head & body length 265-380mm; thick, brown-grey-white hair; dark dorsal stripe. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable Vietnam Red Data Book: Vulnerable
Adult male, E.Schwierz
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Macaques Most common and widespread primates. Macaques are active during the day. They spend time both in the trees and on the ground. Macaques feed on a wide variety on foods such as fruits, nuts, seeds, bark, leaves and also insects, small animals and eggs. Five species are found in Vietnam.
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				Stump-tailed macaque Macaca arctoides Key features: Body dark brown to black (very old animals sometimes have a whitish-grey head), face red, brown or black, sometimes red and black spotted; pointed beard; extremely short tail, nearly not visible; infants white. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Adult male, T.Nadler
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				Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis Key features: Back and limbs grayish-brown, under parts whitish or yellowish brown; face yellowish brown with beard, sometimes dark spots around the eyes; tail 15-45cm. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Adult male, T.Nadler
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				Rhesus macaque Macaca mulatta Key features: Body brown, hind limbs reddish brown; face light brown or red; tail 20-30cm. IUCN Red List: Least Concern Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Adult male, T.Nadler
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				Long-tailed macaque Macaca fascicularis Key features: Body reddish brown to grey-brown; light under parts; tail 40-65cm; infants dark brown to black. IUCN Red List: Least Concern Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Adult male, T.Nadler
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			Northern pig-tailed macaque Macaca leonina Key features: Body medium brown, flat patch on top of head with dark brown hair; tail slender and short, 15-20cm, with short hair. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable Vietnam Red Data Book: Vulnerable
Adult male, T.Nadler
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Langurs Several different leaf-eating monkeys called langurs can be found in Vietnam. All species are threatened and some are considered as “Critically Endangered”. Active during the day, langurs feed predominantly on leaves and can become extremely ill if they ingest other types of food, such as certain types of fruit.
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	Delacour's langur Trachypithecus delacouri Key features: Body black with white hips and thighs, like a pair of white shorts; whitish-grey cheeks, an erected crest on the head; very bushy tail; infants are orange. IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Critically Endangered Listed as one of the 25 world’s most endangered primates.
Adult male, T.Nadler
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		Golden-headed langur Trachypithecus poliocephalus Key features: Body dark chocolate brown; golden-yellow crest and head, down to the shoulders; adults with a silvered line from the hips to the back; long tail; infants are orange. Distribution: only on Cat Ba Island IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Critically Endangered Listed as one of the 25 world’s most endangered primates.
Adult female T.Nadler

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	Indochinese silvered langur Trachypithecus germaini Key features: Body medium to dark grey; face blackish grey; long light grey “whiskers”; infants are orange. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Adult female, T.Nadler

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	Annamese silvered langur Trachypithecus margarita Key features: Brown-grey hair with silver tips; dark grey face with light eye rings; crest on head; long tail; infants are orange. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Adult male, T.Nadler
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	Grey langur Trachypithecus crepusculus Key features: Body grey; white patch around the mouth; eye rings flesh colored; crest on head; long tail; infants are orange. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Vulnerable
Adult male, T.Nadler
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	Francois' langur Trachypithecus francoisi Key features: Body black; white cheeks from corner of the mouth to the ears; crest on head; long tail; infants are orange. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Vulnerable
Adult female, T.Nadler

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	Hatinh langur Trachypithecus hatinhensis Key features: Body black; white cheeks from the corner of the mouth around the ears and down to the neck; crest on head; long tail; infants are orange. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Endangered
Adult male, T.Nadler

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	Black langur Trachypithecus ebenus Key features: Body completely black; long tail; infants are orange. Probably only a black morph of the Hatinh langur. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Sub adult male, T.Nadler
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Douc langurs Douc langurs are large leaf-eating monkeys found only in Indochina west of Mekong River (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Active during the day, douc langurs predominantly eat leaves and can become extremely ill if they ingest other types of food, such as sweet or sour fruits. Douc langurs spend most of their time in the trees.
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	Black-shanked douc langur Pygathrix nigripes Key features: Back and belly grey; arms dark grey; legs black; face blue with cream colored eye rings; tail white. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Vulnerable
Adult male, T.Nadler
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	Grey-shanked douc langur Pygathrix cinerea Key features: Back, belly and arms grey; legs dark grey; face creamy, white around the mouth; whiskers and tail white. IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed Listed as one of the 25 world’s most endangered primates.
Adult male, T.Nadler
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	Red-shanked douc langur Pygathrix nemaeus Key features: Back, belly and upper arms grey; forearms white; upper legs black; lower legs reddish; face creamy with white around the mouth; whiskers and tail white. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Endangered
Adult male, T.Nadler
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Snub-nosed monkeys There are only four species of snub-nosed monkeys. Three of them occur in the mountains of southern China and one is endemic to Vietnam. The diet of these monkeys largely consists of leaves and fruit.
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	Tonkin snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus avunculus Key features: Back, arms and legs dark brown; head and under parts whitish; face bluish with pink lips; tail very long, light brown with whitish tassel. IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Critically Endangered Listed as one of the 25 world’s most endangered primates.
Infant, about 1½ yrs., T.Nadler
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Gibbons Active during the day, gibbons are very vocal apes. They are known for their "singing" which can usually be heard in the early mornings over a long distance. Gibbons have no tail and very long arms and move by swinging on branches. They rarely come down to the ground, preferring life in the trees. Gibbons feed mainly on fruit, flowers, and shoots, but also insects, bird eggs and young birds, found in tree nests.
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	Western black crested gibbon Nomascus concolor Key features: Male body black; adult females beige to yellow with black crest; infants are yellow. IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Endangered
Adult male, T.Nadler

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	Eastern black crested gibbon Nomascus nasutus Key features: Not different in coloration to the black crested gibbon. IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed Listed as one of the 25 world’s most endangered primates.
Adult male, T.Nadler
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	Yellow-cheeked gibbon Nomascus gabriellae Key features: Male body black; cheeks yellowish-brown; adult females beige to yellow; infants are yellow. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Adult male, E.Schwierz
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		Northern white-cheeked gibbon Nomascus leucogenys Key features: Male body black; cheeks white and up over the ears; adult females beige to yellow; infants are yellow. IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Endangered
Sub adult male, T.Nadler

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	Southern white-cheeked gibbon Nomascus siki Key features: Male body black; cheeks white and short; adult females beige to yellow; infants are yellow. IUCN Red List: Endangered Vietnam Red Data Book: Not listed
Adult male, T.Nadler

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	Female gibbons of the Nomascus taxa are all beige to yellow and the species is difficult to identified.
Adult female, J.Kolleck