| -Social organization -Territory
-Social behavior
-Vocalization
Scientific
classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Primates
Superfamily Hominoidea
Family Hylobatidae
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The
different species:
Genus Hylobates
Lar Gibbon or White-handed Gibbon, Hylobates
lar
Agile Gibbon
or Black-handed Gibbon, Hylobates agilis
Müller's Bornean
Gibbon, Hylobates muelleri
Silvery Gibbon,
Hylobates moloch
Pileated Gibbon or
Capped Gibbon, Hylobates pileatus
Kloss's Gibbon
or Mentawai Gibbon or Bilou, Hylobates
klossii
Genus Hoolock
Western Hoolock
Gibbon, Hoolock hoolock
Eastern Hoolock
Gibbon, Hoolock leuconedys
Genus Symphalangus
Siamang, Symphalangus syndactylus
Genus Nomascus
Concolor or Black
Crested Gibbon, Nomascus
concolor
Eastern Black Crested
Gibbon, Nomascus nasutus
White-cheeked Crested
Gibbon, Nomascus leucogenys
Yellow-cheeked Gibbon,
Nomascus gabriellae
Gibbon are the Apes
that are grouped in the family Hylobatidae.
The family is
divided into four genera based on their
diploid chromosome number:
Hylobates : 44
Bunopithecus :
38
Nomascus : 52
Symphalangus :
50
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Generalities
The
Gibbon is an anthropoid monkey from the super
family of the Hominoid, like the other Great Apes
(Gorilla...). So he is our close cousin.
The Gibbon is a slender primate,
without tail, with long arms and shorter legs.
The size varies from 45 to 65 cm and his weight
from 5.5 to 6.7 kg. The siamang is little
diferent because he can attain 75 cm and a weight
of 10.5 kg.
One unique aspect of gibbon
physiology is that the wrist is composed of a
ball and socket joint, allowing biaxial movement.
This greatly reduces the amount of energy needed
in the upper arm and torso, while also reducing
stress on the shoulder joint. They also have long
hands and feet, with a deep cleft between the
first and second digits of their hands. Thus,
gibbons are masters of their primary mode of
locomotion, brachiation, swinging from branch to
branch distances from 15 m (50 ft), at a speed of
56 km/h (35mph). They can also make leaps of up
to 8 m (27 ft), and walk bipedal with their arms
raised for balance.
Gibbons
are social animals, he lives in a family system
that is composed of 2 to 7 individuals. The
family is a permanent group: the mated pair move
with the infant of the year and a number of
juveniles and sub-adults. The status in the
family is strictly linked with the age.
The
Gibbon eat principaly fruits and add to his menu
leaves, flowers, buds, roots, little mammals,
insects and spiders.
They can be found in tropical and
subtropical rainforests from northeast India to
Indonesia and northern to southern China,
including the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Java.
They inhabit evergreen and monsoon forests.
As they are arboreal, this is in
the canopy that we have the best chance to see
them furtively. But sometimes he can go down at
lower floors. He shares his territory with
maccaques, langurs and orang-utans.
Concerning the reproduction, he is
a late breeder. He can reproduce at 7 years old
and he has no season for the reproduction. After
a gestation of 7 months (210 days) the female
give birth to a single baby (with an only birth
every 2 to 4 years). The infant is weaned at 2
years old but he stays with his parents until 7
years old. It is at this time that the parent of
the same sex will push him out of the limits of
the territory, so as to this one found a new
family. A Gibbon live in nature about 25 to 30
years.
As the Gibbon is diurnal, he spends
the night in the trees, the family all together
hold tighted one to another.
His only predator is the
Human being.
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