Monkeys-Plants: Is there any plant which monkeys dislike? OR doesn’t touch? or hates and never comes near of that plant?


Just I want to know. because monkey’s use to spoil all plants. it never afraid of any plants or there is no plant which they doesn’t like.


There are large number of wild species not preferred or avoided by Hanuman Langurs.
Trees not preferred by Hanuman Langur. Part-1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5uiaSmBStQ


There is one plant – Justicia adathoda – the plants are disliked by the animals – even monkeys.


Please dont mind my writing this. But, I imagine why Langurs will NOT LIKE Bombax ceiba.
Langurs certainly like the fruits and there have been evidences of it.
http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1896/0898-6207.21.1.171
Check the link and also the image in the link.


Good question. In fact this picture can clear the situation.
http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=pdb&PdbID=106749


I tend to agree with …. When a tree is relatively young it is armed with prickles for its protection. It tends to loose these as it grows older and in fact the largest tree I have ever seen in my life was a Red Silk Cotton tree in Periyar WLS which was totally devoid of any prickles and which seemed to be a favourite of the Giant Squirrels.


Thanks … for your observations. In my region the Healers (rather natives) differentiate two types of Bombax. One with smooth trunk and other with prickled trunk. Both species exist in wild and possess different medicinal properties. Trees with rough trunk are considered rich in medicinal properties specially when used for Gynecological diseases.

Natives prefer Bombax in Hanuman Langur affected areas. They show the prickles but may be some other factors responsible for less preference.
In general Monkeys are omnivorous. In my property I planted Drumstick, Seetaphal and Lemon in large area. The Hanuman Langurs preferred Drumstick and destroyed all plants as first preference. They were interested in roots.
Lemon and Annona remained unaffected for five years. Now curious young Langurs are taking interest in the Annona, For just experimentation I offered a basket of matured Seetaphal to the population but very few were interested. Lemon orchard is still free from Monkey business. But Wild Boar (Jangli Suar) is taking interest in its roots.

I understand your point ….
But Langurs are Herbivores, Monkeys are omnivores. Monkey term is usually used for Rhesus macaque.


Hanuman Langurs eat insects. Last year Babool trees in my property were infested with bark eating caterpillars. On advice of senior citizens invitation was given to Langurs to visit and enjoy. They made the trees free from caterpillars within no time.
As per wikipedia, it is “Primarily” Herbivores not “only” Herbivores.
Monkey term is used in general for Bandar in India. Locally it is further divided as Lal Muh ka bandar (Rhesus) and Kale Muh ka Bandar. (Semnopithecus)


Primarily herbivores, but they are known to be involved in cannibalism. Frankly I never knew they eat insects, you should publish this information. Anyways, you know better.


I just checked, there are references that already claim that langur eat insects.


I have read your field notes. Like that I also share my observations through online notes
http://ecoport.org/ep?SearchType=earticleView&earticleId=1659&page=-2

I have published over 120 researcher papers, over 100 conference papers, many book chapters, 4 books and thousands of popular articles for farmers and frankly speaking tired of more publications.
I contributed 12000 documents in Botanical.com as addition to the above. It was claimed that it will not be considered as scientific publications but these documents are well quoted and mentioned in over 5000 Doctoral and Post-Doctoral thesis around the world. I have found at least 15 Ph.D. thesis in which my Botanical.com documents were copied and pasted as such without any change. I complained but seeing the future of the students taken the complaints back.
I was started publishing bit earlier. When I reached final year of under graduate I was having two publications in my credit. One on Medicinal Weeds and another on first record of blumea leaf beetle and in my post graduate answer sheets I was using my own references with much proud.

I dont think thorns are issue. They have thick skin. I have seen Langurs sitting on Zizyphus so often. They have worst thorns.


Next week I will try to visit and interact the people experiencing it. I am confident that video recording will help you to convince with this logic.
By the way my previous video was on Plants “Not preferred” by Hanuman Langur. I hope you have noted the sense of “Not Preferred.”


I want to clear there are two silk cotton trees.
One is Ceiba pentandra which has smooth, green bark with white flowers usually abundant in Tamilnadu, also cultivated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceiba_pentandra)
Another is Bombax malabarica which has thorny bark and red flowers used in Ayurveda usually abundant in many parts of north India. Some tree may not have thorns. However, I never seen such a thorn less tree.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombax_malabaricum)


Bombax malabarica become thorn less at least on the main trunk (even on branches) after attaining certain size or age. In forests of Kerala and Karnataka, if we see the huge trees of B. malabarica you would confuse because they don’t have thorns. We generally see small trees in gardens and all. But in the forests there are huge trees without thorns


To support … observations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYgtp8LlJ0c
This very old Bombax tree is thorn less. …, according to expert Traditional Healers, besides size and certain age, there are many factors for making such trees thorn less, and there is no thumb rule for this species. The thorned type I am discussing remains the same even at old age.


Thanks a lot for the information … Your statistics are too high to match with others 🙂


what are these monkeys upto…. i cant figure it out? what do they want from this cactus?
have they chewed open a gash in its thorny skin????


Eating obviously…..


Good picture.
While searching my database I found information about Indigenous Orchid disliked by Hanuman Langur. They never climb on the trees having this epiphyte. There is specific reason for this strong dislike and it looks funny also.
In Jharkhand and also in Chhattisgarh and Orissa, the Traditional Experts force the langur group towards such trees and make fun.
I know you are aware of it. Please share it with the group. It will be fun.


Frankly I am not aware of this.
Vanda tessellata is often called as Bandar Kanwa may be due to its spreading petals and sepals which looks like Monkey’s Ears. But at some point there should be some truth on your comment, because if monkeys loved orchids then they must have destroyed all epiphytes.
Late Dr. T.A.Rao had trained one Rhesus Monkey who he named Hanumantha and the monkey used to climb on trees and bring orchids for him. Both monkey and Dr. Rao are gone now. He even dedicated his book to Hanumantha !! To me this is the only example of its kind in world for orchids.


http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/19/stories/2002121900550200.htm
You may like reading this interview of Dr. T A Rao.
I had a privilege of meeting him once at a national orchid conference just before his last days in 2007. I gave a presentation on Orchids of Gori Valley and Dendrobiums of Chhotanagpur. He wasnt able to walk or speak. He came to me and said something with a cute smile and full of excitement. I couldnt make out what he said. But he has a girl may be relative or assistant. She told me, that he was very happy to know that I have visited Gori Valley. Because he also visited the place during his young age. He must be in his 90s I assume as he retired in 1978.


I have no idea …. I cant think why monkeys will not like orchids, may be Dendrobium herbaceum.