Animal Profiles
Mammals

Gibbon

Hylobatidae

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Gibbons are small apes adapted to travelling through trees. This account follows the white-handed, or lar, gibbon, whose long arms and loud calls are characteristic of Southeast Asian forest canopies.

Lar gibbons (Hylobates lar) in captivity, showing dark and pale coats; the representative species described here.

Lar gibbons (Hylobates lar) in captivity, showing dark and pale coats; the representative species described here.

User:MatthiasKabel · CC BY

At a glance

Location
This representative is the lar gibbon, Hylobates lar. It occupies tropical forests in Southeast Asia, including lowland and hill rainforest. It spends much of its time high in the canopy, where connected branches provide routes between feeding trees.
Habitat
Rainforest
Diet
Omnivore
Food
Ripe fruit is especially important, alongside leaves, flowers and some insects.

Classification

Common name
Gibbon
Browse group
Mammals
Scientific name or taxon
Hylobatidae
Taxon rank
family
Order
Primates
Family
Hylobatidae
Source classification
Mammalia

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • The lar gibbon has pale hands and feet.
  • Its long arms help it swing between branches.
  • Fruit is its main food, with leaves and insects also eaten.

Habitat and range

This representative is the lar gibbon, Hylobates lar. It occupies tropical forests in Southeast Asia, including lowland and hill rainforest. It spends much of its time high in the canopy, where connected branches provide routes between feeding trees.

Appearance and adaptations

Lar gibbons have long arms, no tail, and pale hands and feet. A light ring of fur surrounds the bare face. Their coats may be dark or pale; the two colour forms are not a simple guide to sex.

Diet and behaviour

Ripe fruit is especially important, alongside leaves, flowers and some insects. Long arms and grasping hands support swinging travel between branches. Loud vocal exchanges help groups communicate and advertise their use of a forest area.

Sources

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