Common Name: Siamang Scientific Name: Hylobates syndactylus
LOWER RISK Siamang Distribution: South East Asia
Habitat:
Siamangs are small apes and like all apes, including Chimpanzees and Gorilla they do not have a tail. A tail is one feature that makes it easy to tell the difference between apes and monkeys. Siamangs have long arms that they use to hang from branches and swing through trees. This swinging movement is called brachiation.
Forest
Height: 70 - 90cm
Weight: 10kg - 15kg
Diet: Omnivorous Fruit, leaves, animals.
Siamangs have long black fur and large bodies compared to their closest relatives, the gibbons. Adults have a grey throat sac that they use when calling. Males also have a tuft on their bottom that looks a little like a tail, but is just a section of longer hair. Siamangs are found in South East Asia on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra where they inhabit lowland and mountain forests up to 3800m. The main part of the Siamang’s diet is leaves, but they also eat fruit, flowers and animal prey. Siamangs live in monogamous pairs, which means that a male and a female live together and rear their offspring. Breeding occurs throughout the year with the females gestation period (pregnancy) being about 235 days. Offspring live with their parents until they are around 8, when they leave to find a mate of their own. Each family lives on a territory that they defend from their neighbours through loud calling displays that are performed most mornings.