NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Chamba Sacred Langur
Semnopithecus ajax (Pocock, 1928)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Kashmir gray langur (Semnopithecus ajax) is an Old World monkey, one of the langur species. It is a leaf-eating monkey.
It has been reported from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in northwestern India but evidence indicates it only occurs in the Chamba Valley in Himachal Pradesh. Because of its restricted range, fragmented population and threats from human agriculture and development activities it is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List.
In Pakistan it occurs in Machiara National Park.
It was formerly considered a subspecies of Semnopithecus entellus and is one of several Semnopithecus species named after characters from The Iliad, along with Semnopithecus hector and Semnopithecus priam.
Wikipedia contributors, Kashmir gray langur; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:35:03.003424+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Semnopithecus ajax (Pocock, 1928)
- Name authority
- (Pocock, 1928)
- Common name
- Chamba Sacred Langur
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Primates
- Family
- Cercopithecidae
- Genus
- Semnopithecus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderPrimates Linnaeus, 1758
- suborderHaplorrhini Pocock, 1918
- infraorderSimiiformes Haeckel, 1866
- superfamilyCercopithecoidea Gray, 1821
- familyCercopithecidae Gray, 1821
- subfamilyColobinae Jerdon, 1867
- tribePresbytini Gray, 1825
- genusSemnopithecus Desmarest, 1822
- speciesSemnopithecus ajax (Pocock, 1928)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Semnopithecus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Bengal Sacred LangurSemnopithecus entellus (Dufresne, 1797) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tarai Gray LangurSemnopithecus hector (Pocock, 1928) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-footed Gray LangurSemnopithecus hypoleucos Blyth, 1841 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hooded Leaf MonkeySemnopithecus johnii (J. Fischer, 1829) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tufted Gray LangurSemnopithecus priam Blyth, 1844 | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Purple-faced LangurSemnopithecus vetulus (Erxleben, 1777) | CercopithecidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=944264 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4WHH9. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.