Gibbon

Gibbons are very involved social animals who are extremely territorial and will defend their places of residence amid vast displays of vocalization and a great deal of movement.

The vocalization can be heard for up to a mile, when they become enraged, but also at other times.

One very different and unique thing about Gibbons is that they have an actual wrist, such as a human has, made of a socket and ball that allows them greater movement than some other monkey species.

They are unique in other ways as well. They have very long hands and feet, and a very deep ravine type cleft between their fist and second finger.

The Gibbon

They are a great deal smaller than many other monkeys and swing from branch to branch with great ease because of the ball and socket in their wrists.

They can move through the trees at speeds in excess of 35 miles per hours and make leaps that will cover branch to branch distances of up well over twenty feet.

Gibbons will also walk on two feet, using their arms for balance rather than to help them walk as other monkeys are prone to do.

Gibbons are black, but can also be grey or lighter brown, and may have white or yellowish white markings on the hands and face.

Some types of Gibbon also have a throat sack that will inflate and create a type of echo chamber to help the sound carry when they call to another animal.

Gibbons usually have just one infant, although rarely, as with other monkeys it will be twins. They carry the child inside for about 170 days and give birth to a tiny infant of well under a pound.

Mated pairs will often sing duets, with the juveniles joining them in the song.

Sadly this song which is designed to help them communicate, or sometimes to bring a male into the territory so a female can mate, will also help them be found by poachers.

The sound makes them a very easily found target for poachers, or for hunters who specialize in taking bodies for use in medical research.
Find out more about the Gibbon over at Wikipedia »