Gibbons are also thought of as arboreal, in fact, hylobates, one of the four genera can be translated to either “forest walker” or “dweller in the trees”. Like chimps and gorillas, orangutans have also been observed using sticks as tools to extract insects from trees as well as using leaves as umbrellas when it rains! Male orangutan swinging in the trees / Shutterstock Very occasionally, orangutans have been observed eating meat when fruit is scarce, specifically their fellow primates, slow lorises. Like the western lowland gorilla, fruit makes up a large portion of their diet at around 50%, which is supplemented with other types of vegetation in addition to small amounts of insects such as ants and termites. On the occasion they do spend time on the forest floor, they do so on all fours but usually do not use knuckle-walking like gorillas and chimps. They can often be seen high up in the forest canopy, which is quite incredible for such a large ape. Orangutans spend the vast majority of their time in trees where they build their nests to sleep and move about with ease thanks to their long arms and hook-like hands. Moving to Asia, the ecological preferences of the orangutan are much simpler than that of the gorilla all three species live in the lush tropical forests of Borneo and Sumatra and none of them ventures above 4,600 ft (1,500 m). Like other apes, poaching and habitat destruction are both to blame for much of their population decline but the latter is even more of an issue for gibbons and orangutans who spend the vast majority of their time in the trees. Some of the species most at risk are the newly discovered Skywalker hoolock gibbon, with just 150 individuals and the eastern black crested gibbon, who number no more than 50. Of the 20 species of gibbon, 1 has a conservation status of vulnerable, 14 are endangered and a further 5 are critically endangered. Their range is split geographically between their four genera with the range of hylobates overlapping with that of the monotypic. Most of their population is found on mainland Southeast Asia but like orangutans, are present on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. It is by far the most diverse group of apes with 20 of the 27 species being found within this family. Gibbons are classed as lesser apes and are found in a separate family to the greater apes, Hylobatidae. Sometimes they will eat bird eggs that they find in nests of the trees.Taxonomy, Location, Population & Conservation Hominoidea cladogram They will find lots of figs, twigs, leaves, insects, and flowers. Approximately 60% of their diet is fruit. They follow a pattern in their home range so that they are able to take advantage of what fruits grow in a given location at any particular time. Fruit is one that they enjoy and they will move around often to find it. The Gibbon consumes a variety of different types of foods. Groups often sing songs and that can be a problem that leads poachers to finding them. Fights can occur between pairs but usually it is between the males. They can be very vocal and heard for long distances. They are very aggressive when it comes to defending their territory and their groups.
One of the reasons why the Gibbon is said to be an Ape is that they are able to use their arms to swing from tree to tree. They also pair off like humans do and will often stay with one partner until they die. This is very unusual for Monkeys or Apes. The Gibbon is one animal that doesn’t make a nest. They are arboreal which means that they only live in the trees. They tend to enjoy the warmer climates where they can find plenty of food and shelter. They live in both the tropical and sub tropical regions. Northeast India, Indonesia, and Southern China are home to the Gibbon. Some species have two fingers on each hand that are stuck together. The molars are sharp which can help them for fighting off predators and for food. They also have teeth that are downward in shape. They don’t have cheek pouches though like Apes do. They have a skull that is very similar in structure to that of the Old World animals.
This allows for the entire hand to completely rotate! They have wrist with a ball and socket joint. They can also have body parts that are white or black. They can be various shades of brown from light to dark. They have a body that is designed for speed and movement. The Gibbon is medium in size and they are the fastest of all mammals that live in trees. They are smaller than Apes and they don’t have the size differences. You may hear them called the Lesser Apes at times too. The controversy often continues and so you will find information out there about them in both categories. A Gibbon is often described as a Monkey but most classify them as Apes.
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