Gibbon - description, habitat, lifestyle

Gibbon refers to a medium-sized monkey. There are many prejudices that specifically affect this species of primates. When a person hears about a gibbon, he involuntarily imagines an ugly large individual. In fact, representatives of the family are distinguished by their appearance, which touches. In this article we will study everything that affects the family under discussion. You can make your own opinion based on the information received. By the way, there are quite a lot of gibbons, about 13 varieties.

Description

1. In color, the representatives of the family are very different. Some are pigmented in pure black, others are darker, closer to brown. Still others have gray shades in their color. The lower limbs are colored light, often white. The muzzle is black, there are light spots on it. The coat is dense, impregnated at the base, so primates are reliably protected from the weather.
2. The upper limbs are strong, powerful and quite elongated. The body is sealed, but at the same time slim. There is no tail. Most of the individuals represented are on a hill, like to sit on trees, rarely go down. The limbs are sharpened on this, with which primates cleverly wield, clutching and swaying on the branches. Five fingers on the palms.
3. The face is bald, the hairline is absent, the skin is visible. It is pigmented in black, on the lateral parts there are light (almost always whitish) hairs. The eyes are located next to each other, the iris is brownish. Thanks to binocular vision, the discussed individuals are easily oriented in dense thickets and crowns of trees.

Lifestyle

1. This is not to say that the basic diet is rich and varied. Primates love to eat plant foods. They prefer juicy, soft and fresh foliage. Season dishes with nuts, inflorescences, and other delicious berry and fruit fruits. Rambutans and bananas are very fond of. However, among the whole variety of gibbons, there are those that lay on bird eggs. Some of them can attack small chicks and raise nests. They also include various insects on the daily menu.
2. A distinctive characteristic of this type of primates is the inability to consume water. They do not absorb liquid, as do, for example, dogs or cats. Monkeys lubricate limbs with water, and then lick them. Thus, the fluid balance is replenished. Also, these animals are very mobile and energetic. They love to play, behave restlessly and stick to all creatures living nearby. Especially often gibbons start a comic fight.
3. Primates of this type quickly get used to humans. They make contact and seem slightly naive. That is why they often fall into the trap of poachers. Contain gibbons at home. The advantage of primates is their peaceful nature, anger is rare and always for a certain reason. In the matter of creating a family are finicky. They live in small groups, as well as in couples or in splendid isolation.
4. In the natural environment, the lifespan can be about 23 years. But there are long-lived primates. A record was set when Gibbon turned 50 years old. Individuals of the species under discussion rarely procreate. A baby is born once in 3 years, sometimes less often. Feeding is carried out with milk, parents do not release the offspring into a free life until he turns 3 years old.

Habitat

1. First we’ll touch the distribution zone.Representatives of the family prefer to live in China, its southwestern part. They are also found in the east near the Malay Peninsula and Myanmar. Some individuals were found near Sumatra. For the monkeys to fully exist, they need certain climatic conditions. It can be tropics or dry forests. Animals rise 2 thousand kilometers above sea level.
2. There are no special gender differences. By size characteristics, body color, behavior, distribution, these individuals are almost identical. It happens that males are slightly smaller than females, but this is a rarity, an exception to the rule.
3. Animals show maximum activity in the daytime. They are famous for their long upper limbs, which they cleverly wield, moving from branch to branch. On the ground, movements are minimal.

Characteristics

1. The considered individuals possess amazing characteristic features. Often they form family groups. Such families in most cases try to live in a separate area. Such a family makes special sounds to warn relatives and that it is their territory.
2. Often in such a family can occur from 2 to 7 individuals. Such a group is formed by a female with a male, then they have offspring. It is often possible to observe that even elderly individuals live in such a family. Due to the fact that the monkeys live on their own territory, conflicts often occur between neighbors. Primates do not fight, but only make menacing sounds and take poses.
3. Separately, it is worth talking about how the individuals in question sleep. Such monkeys climb onto a tree with the most leaves. As soon as dawn arrives, the animals climb to the very top of the tree. At the very peak, they begin to sing. Such actions can last about 2 hours. And the whole family is involved in this.
4. It is noteworthy that the individuals in question are the only ones of their kind that are capable of making melodic sounds. They project pure tones, like a person. Moreover, such animals are not specially trained in singing, such an ability appears in them already from birth.
5. Primates can sing beautifully because they have a special throat pouch. It is he who acts as a resonator of sounds. Therefore, when gibbons begin their morning chants, they can be heard hundreds of meters away. Such monkeys are truly unique and one of a kind.

Breeding

1. As for the breeding season, a specific breeding season simply does not exist. The considered individuals are monogamous. When such animals form a pair, they remain with each other throughout life.
2. Males reach puberty at about the age of 8 years. At this time, they are trying to find a chosen one from another family. Over the course of a crescent, he takes care of his companion. Then a full pair is formed. It is noteworthy that such monkeys very carefully choose their partner. They adhere to personal preferences.
3. It is for the same reason that breeding gibbons in captivity is extremely difficult. Quite rarely, individuals can create a full pair. In captivity, individuals of the opposite sex simply ignore each other. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about it. Otherwise, they can also create their own family and live as a full-fledged group. Parents often age in this group.
4. After mating, only one baby is born in the female. Moreover, such monkeys reproduce offspring only 1 time in 3 years. The pregnancy itself proceeds for 7 months. In the first weeks after birth, the baby clings to the maternal abdomen and does not go anywhere.
5. Then the male begins to make efforts to raise offspring. Up to 2 years of age, young animals continue to be fed breast milk.As mentioned earlier, individuals become sexually mature at about 8 years old. It is interesting that in the wild animals live up to 25 years without any problems. In captivity, this figure doubles.

In today's article, we examined monkeys in the medium-sized category. They are distinguished by their peaceful nature, therefore they are very successful in contacting people and being kept at home. These individuals love to eat plant foods, but during a crisis they can rake bird nests. More common in China, because they are suitable for the climate there. The size is almost the same, painted dark.

Video: Gibbon teases cubs