Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammal
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Cercopithecidae
- Genus
- Presbytis
Habitat
They primarily inhabit lowland and hill dipterocarp forests in Borneo, preferring dense canopies with abundant foliage for movement and shelter. These monkeys are found at elevations up to 1,000 meters, avoiding open areas and thriving in areas with year-round rainfall.
Diet
Maroon leaf monkeys mainly eat young leaves, shoots, fruits, and flowers, with a preference for nutrient-rich foliage from trees like figs and lianas. They are folivorous and feed during the day, often spending several hours foraging in the upper canopy to meet their dietary needs.
Behavior
They live in multi-male, multi-female groups of 5 to 20 individuals, exhibiting strong social bonds through grooming and vocalizations. Maroon leaf monkeys are diurnal and arboreal, spending most of their time in trees and using alarm calls to warn of predators; they are territorial, defending their home ranges with displays like branch shaking.
Conservation Status
The IUCN classifies the maroon leaf monkey as Vulnerable due to ongoing habitat loss from deforestation and palm oil plantations; population trends are decreasing, with major threats including fragmentation of forest habitats.