Both genders of the red-shanked douc have similar colorations but males are a little larger. Adults grow up to 2 feet long and weigh about 24 pounds.

Their unique coloration includes white forearms, gray thighs and upper arms, red lower legs, black hands and feet, a yellowish face, and blue eyelids. These beautiful colors give them the nickname “queen of primates.”

Red-shanked doucs use their 22-30-inch tail only for balance and can soar through the trees making 20-foot jumps easily.

The red-shanked douc is considered an Old World primate, which includes other species such as baboons and macaques. They can be found throughout Asia in places like Vietnam and Cambodia in a variety of habitats. These include lowlands, mountains up to 6,500 feet, and different rainforests.

Red-shanked doucs is a leaf-eating monkey that also dabbles occasionally in fruits like figs, flowers, and more. They have several sacs in their stomach filled with bacteria that breaks down the leaves it eats, which gives them the pot-bellied appearance. They get all the liquid they need from their diet so they’ll never need to descend from the trees to get water. There is no quarreling over food and they have even been observed sharing with each other, breaking off pieces and giving them to others.

Mating season for the red-shanked douc is from August to December. After mating, the female is pregnant for 5-6 months, eventually giving birth to a single offspring. The young red-shanked doucs are born with their eyes open and will instinctively cling to their mothers. They have gray hair with a dark stripe down their back and a black face; the young will get their adult colors after 10 months.

Like all monkeys, red-shanked doucs are social animals. They live in groups of 4-50 monkeys with two females per male; both genders have their own hierarchies with males being more dominant.

When the groups navigate, the adult males lead, females and infants stay safe in the middle, and young males bring up the rear.