HABITAT QUALITY AND PLAY IN HANUMAN LANGUR, SEMNOPITHECUS ENTELLUS AROUND JODHPUR, INDIA

The influence of environmental factor including habitat quality and the intra troop conflict on food of Human langur, Semnopithecus entellus two troops of similar size and age class composition were studied over 10-months in Jodhpur, Rajasthan (Northwest India). One of the troop lived in a poor habitat where food was often short, the other in a rich habitat with relatively abundant resources. Play frequency was negatively correlated with the amount of leaves eaten. Consequently, play rates for the rich habitat langurs (RHL) were not only 5-6 times higher than for the poor habitat langurs (PHL), but play lasted also significantly longer among RHL. Play rates showed a dramatic increase among PHL when more natural food became available as a result of monsoon rains. The study provides considerable support for the hypothesis that plays is a sensitive indicator of habitat quality. The fact that adverse environmental conditions reduced play rates to zero without disrupting the general activity pattern in langurs.