Kloss's Gibbon
Encyclopedia
Kloss's gibbon also known as the Mentawai gibbon or the Bilou, is a primate
in the Hylobatidae or gibbon
family. It resembles the Siamang
with its black fur
, but is considerably smaller and lacks the Siamang's distinctive throat pouch. Kloss's gibbon reaches a size 44 to 63 cm and weigh at most 6 kg. As is the case for all gibbons, they have long arms and no tail.
Kloss's gibbon exclusively lives on the Mentawai Islands
that lie to the west of Sumatra
. It is a diurnal
inhabitant of the rain forest that hangs in the trees from its long arms and rarely comes to the ground. Like all species of gibbons it lives together in pairs that stake out a territory from approximately 20 to 30 hectares of size. This area is defended vehemently against other gibbons. Its diet consists mainly of fruit
s, occasionally also eating different plant parts, bird eggs, insects and small vertebrates.
The singing of the female Kloss's gibbon is considered the most beautiful of all the gibbons' songs. Unlike most other gibbon species (except for the Javan silvery gibbon, Hylobates moloch), Kloss's gibbon males and females do not sing duets. Males typically sing in the hour before sunrise, while an all-female chorus occurs after sunrise. The singing of the gibbons serves to warn off other animals from their territory, and possibly to strengthen the family bonds.
The reproductive cycle of Kloss's gibbon is similar to that of other gibbons. Every two to three years the female may give birth to a single young (with a gestation period of seven months). The young is weaned in the middle of its second year, and is fully mature in about seven years. Their life expectancy is about 25 years in the wild, and up to 40 years in captivity.
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. It resembles the Siamang
Siamang
The siamang is a tailless, arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. The largest of the lesser apes, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg...
with its black fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
, but is considerably smaller and lacks the Siamang's distinctive throat pouch. Kloss's gibbon reaches a size 44 to 63 cm and weigh at most 6 kg. As is the case for all gibbons, they have long arms and no tail.
Kloss's gibbon exclusively lives on the Mentawai Islands
Mentawai Islands
The Mentawai Islands are a chain of about seventy islands and islets off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Siberut is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai . The islands lie approximately 150 km off the Sumatran coast, across the...
that lie to the west of Sumatra
Sumatra
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...
. It is a diurnal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
inhabitant of the rain forest that hangs in the trees from its long arms and rarely comes to the ground. Like all species of gibbons it lives together in pairs that stake out a territory from approximately 20 to 30 hectares of size. This area is defended vehemently against other gibbons. Its diet consists mainly of fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s, occasionally also eating different plant parts, bird eggs, insects and small vertebrates.
The singing of the female Kloss's gibbon is considered the most beautiful of all the gibbons' songs. Unlike most other gibbon species (except for the Javan silvery gibbon, Hylobates moloch), Kloss's gibbon males and females do not sing duets. Males typically sing in the hour before sunrise, while an all-female chorus occurs after sunrise. The singing of the gibbons serves to warn off other animals from their territory, and possibly to strengthen the family bonds.
The reproductive cycle of Kloss's gibbon is similar to that of other gibbons. Every two to three years the female may give birth to a single young (with a gestation period of seven months). The young is weaned in the middle of its second year, and is fully mature in about seven years. Their life expectancy is about 25 years in the wild, and up to 40 years in captivity.