Animal Primates: 6 Interesting Facts about Gibbons (Gibbon)

Gibbons (gibbon) are a type of small ape that is famous for its acrobatic intelligence and moves with both legs (bipedal).

In zoos, gibbons become one of the animals that amaze visitors because of their ability to swing.

Gibbons (gibbon) do not have tails and have shoulder blades that can rotate in any direction.

The small and slender body shape that resembles a monkey, makes gibbons often mistaken for small monkeys

Owa has a flat face, shoulder joint with full rotation, wide chest, arms longer than legs, hands and feet that can grasp, a large brain, and no tail.

1. Taxonomy Classification

Following are the scientific classifications of gibbons:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammals

Order: Primates

Suborder: Haplorhini

Infraordo: Catarrhini

Family: Hylobatidae

Genus: Nomascus, Symphalangus, Hoolock, and Hylobate

There are 15 species in the 4 genera mentioned above.

2. Physical Characteristics

The body size of gibbons (gibbon) is relatively small, thin, agile, and slim with a small round head, long arms, and long fingers but the thumb is relatively short.

The gibbon wrist is also equipped with a bullet joint.

The gibbon body is covered with thick, smooth hair, light brown to dark brown.

Gibbon hair covers most parts of the body, except the face, fingers, palms, soles of the feet, and armpits.

The gibbons’ small jaws are equipped with sharp canines. Female gibbons are generally heavier than male gibbons.

3. Habitat

Gibbons are categorized as arboreal animals because they spend most of their time swinging in trees. Animals are found in the wild in tropical and subtropical rainforests of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam , Northeast India, Thailand, and Cambodia are some of the countries that are habitat for gibbons.

4. Shelter

Unlike the larger apes such as gorillas, gibbons do not build their own nests.

Gibbons have ischial callosities, fleshy pads without nerves attached to the hip bones that allow them to sleep in a sitting position.

Owa is often found sleeping in a tree branch with his head tucked in his lap and his long arms hugging their knees.

A group of gibbons usually sleep on the same tree for a certain amount of time.

Including diurnal primates, active gibbons are about ten and a half hours a day.

5. Food

The favorite food of gibbons is the fruits they consume during hunting during the day.

Besides fruit, gibbons also consume young shoots, leaves, seeds, skin, and flowers. Eggs and insects are also part of their diet.

6. How to move places

Having long arms allows gibbons to swing from one branch to another or from one tree to another easily.

His long fingers allow them to hold the tree branches well.

The swinging motion of his arm is called brachiation, allowing them to swing 15 meters above the tree at a speed of about 35 miles per hour.

In addition to swinging, these primates are also famous for their bipedal movements.

Gibbons walk with both legs aided by their arms to maintain balance.

Owa will put his weight in his hands and then swing his legs.

Because they cannot swim, usually gibbons choose to avoid water.

Source: Amazine.co