Silvered Leaf Monkey, Borneo

Silvered leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus cristatu) are found in the countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. They eat only leaves and live in a variety of forest types including, primary growth, secondary growth, mangrove, and coastal. Silvered leaf-monkeys are quite timid and usually live in troops of 10 to 50 animals, including one dominant male like the one shown here. This photograph was taken in the late afternoon in mangroves just a few hundred feet from the South China Sea. The dappled forest light in this scene was difficult to deal with, but for a few seconds the monkey's face was in a spot of light that filtered through an opening in the canopy, adding drama to the image.