Agile Gibbon
Encyclopedia
The agile gibbon also known as the black-handed gibbon, is an Old World
primate
in the Hylobatidae or gibbon
family
, a group also collectively referred to as the "lesser apes
". Along with the orangutan
s of genus
Pongo
, they belong to one of only two ape
clade
s endemic to Southeast Asia
.
s they are tailless.
(but not the north part of the island) and in a small area on the Malay Peninsula
. They predominantly live arboreally in rain forests and rarely come to the ground.
at a fast pace. Like all gibbons, they live in serially monogamous pairs in a strictly enforced territory, which they defend with vigorous visual displays and songs. The diet of the agile gibbon consists mainly of fruits, leaves and insects.
Females give birth to a single offspring after seven months' gestation. The young gibbon is weaned at barely 2 years of age. When fully mature, at about 8 years, it leaves its family group in order to look for a mate.
These subspecies are not recognized by the IUCN Red List.
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
in the Hylobatidae or gibbon
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, a group also collectively referred to as the "lesser apes
Gibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
". Along with the orangutan
Orangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
s of genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Pongo
Orangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
, they belong to one of only two ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
s endemic to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
Description
The fur coloring of these animals can vary from black to red-brown. Their brows are always white, however, and males can be recognized by their white or light-grey cheeks. Additionally, males are slightly larger than females. Agile gibbons reach an average weight of 5.5 kg and a length of 40 to 60 cm. Like all gibbonGibbon
Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae . The family is divided into four genera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates , Hoolock , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . The extinct Bunopithecus sericus is a gibbon or gibbon-like ape which, until recently, was thought to be closely related...
s they are tailless.
Distribution and Habitat
The agile gibbon is found on SumatraSumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
(but not the north part of the island) and in a small area on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. They predominantly live arboreally in rain forests and rarely come to the ground.
Behaviour
With their long arms they swing by the branches, brachiatingBrachiation
Brachiation is a form of arboreal locomotion in which primates swing from tree limb to tree limb using only their arms.- Brachiators :...
at a fast pace. Like all gibbons, they live in serially monogamous pairs in a strictly enforced territory, which they defend with vigorous visual displays and songs. The diet of the agile gibbon consists mainly of fruits, leaves and insects.
Females give birth to a single offspring after seven months' gestation. The young gibbon is weaned at barely 2 years of age. When fully mature, at about 8 years, it leaves its family group in order to look for a mate.
Subspecies
Some experts recognize two subspecies of the agile gibbon:- Mountain agile gibbon, Hylobates agilis agilis
- Lowland agile gibbon, Hylobates agilis unko
These subspecies are not recognized by the IUCN Red List.