Mammals Active during the day

Lion-tailed Macaque

Macaca silenus

iNaturalist Wikipedia

Meet the 'Lion' of India's rainforests. With its striking silver mane and tufted tail, this endangered primate is a rare icon of the Western Ghats' ancient canopy.

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0 Habitats

Quick Identification

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Size

42–61 cm (16.5–24 in) in length, with a tail of 24–38 cm (9–15 in); weight ranges from 5–10 kg (11–22 lbs).

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Colors

Glossy jet-black fur across the body, highlighted by a massive silver-white mane encircling the face. Both sexes look similar, though males are larger.

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Key Features

Majestic silver-white ruff or mane around the face
Black tufted tail resembling a lion's tail
Glossy black body fur
Arboreal build with powerful limbs for climbing

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Omnivorous and primarily frugivorous; they specialize in rainforest fruits, seeds, and nectar, but also supplement their diet with insects, lizards, and tree frogs.

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Habitat Primary tropical evergreen rainforests and dense mountain forest fragments.

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Where Does the Lion-tailed Macaque Live?

The Lion-tailed Macaque is a rare treasure found exclusively in the Western Ghats mountain range of South India. Its native range is highly restricted to the states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, where it inhabits isolated pockets of undisturbed evergreen forest. Because they are canopy specialists, they are strictly limited to regions where the forest remains thick and continuous, making them one of the most geographically restricted primates in the world.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

1 Countries

2,500 km² Range

Endangered Conservation

IN India

Marginal

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

The Lion-tailed Macaque is a highly social and predominantly arboreal primate. They live in hierarchical groups of 10 to 20 individuals, typically consisting of one dominant male and several females with their offspring. Unlike many other macaque species that spend significant time on the ground, these monkeys are masters of the upper canopy, rarely descending unless the forest cover is fragmented. They are diurnal, spending their mornings foraging and their afternoons engaged in social grooming, which is vital for troop cohesion.

While they are naturally shy and elusive, they have a complex communication system. They use a variety of vocalizations, most notably a soft 'coo' call to maintain contact while foraging in dense foliage. In areas where their habitat overlaps with human agriculture, such as tea and coffee plantations, they may be seen crossing roads or using man-made structures to navigate between forest patches, though they generally remain much more reclusive than the common Bonnet Macaque.

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Camera Tips

Capturing the Lion-tailed Macaque on a trail camera requires a specialized 'canopy-level' approach. Because they are strictly arboreal, a ground-mounted camera will likely only capture passing shadows or the occasional descent in fragmented areas. For the best results, mount your camera at heights of 15 to 30 feet within the mid-to-upper canopy. Target 'wildlife corridors' or canopy bridges—specific spots where the branches of giant trees like the Cullenia exarillata or Ficus overlap—as these serve as the macaques' primary highways through the forest.

Seasonality plays a major role in camera placement. During the fruiting season of the Cullenia tree (typically the monsoon and post-monsoon months), focus your lenses on these specific food sources. The macaques will return to the same fruiting trees for days at a time. Using a 'no-glow' infrared flash is critical for this species; they are intelligent and cautious, and a visible red glow from a standard infrared flash can spook the troop and alter their natural foraging patterns.

For settings, prioritize a high trigger speed (under 0.3 seconds) and a multi-shot burst mode. Macaques move quickly and sporadically through branches, and a slow camera will often result in nothing but a blurry tail. High-definition video is particularly effective for this species, as it allows you to capture the social interactions and the movement of their silver manes, which are their most identifying features. Ensure your camera is angled slightly downward from its mount to capture the monkeys as they move across horizontal limbs.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Lion-tailed Macaque.

Bonnet Macaque

Much smaller, brownish-grey fur, lacks the silver mane, and has a circular 'cap' of hair on the head.

Nilgiri Langur

Also black with a brownish-gold hood, but lacks the silver-white facial ruff and has a much longer, non-tufted tail.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Lion-tailed Macaques are diurnal, meaning they are active during daylight hours. They exhibit two peak activity periods: early morning from 7 AM to 11 AM for foraging, and a secondary peak in the late afternoon before they retreat to high-canopy sleeping trees for the night.

Unless your backyard is part of a high-altitude evergreen forest in the Western Ghats, attracting them is difficult. For those living on the edge of their habitat, the best way to attract them is by preserving native fruiting trees like Figs and Cullenia. Avoid providing human food, as this leads to dangerous habituation and health issues.

Their diet is mostly fruit-based, with a strong preference for the seeds and fruit of the Cullenia tree. They also eat various jungle figs, flowers, and insects. When fruit is scarce, they have been known to eat small animals like lizards and frogs found in the canopy.

No, they are quite rare in suburban settings. Unlike the Bonnet Macaque or Rhesus Macaque, the Lion-tailed Macaque avoids humans and requires deep, intact forest. They are only seen near human habitation where tea or coffee estates have fragmented their original forest homes.

The Lion-tailed Macaque is almost entirely black with a massive silver-white mane around its face and a tufted 'lion' tail. In contrast, the Bonnet Macaque is brownish-grey, lacks the silver mane, and has a characteristic 'cap' of hair on its head radiating from a central point.

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