|
More About Gibbons and Siamangs ...
|
Gibbons are small apes that are traditionally grouped in the genus Hylobates, and they are further divided into four subgenera based on their diploid chromosome number: Hylobates (44), Bunopithecus (38), Nomascus (52), and Symphalangus (50). They make up the entirety of the family Hylobatidae.
The Gibbons are also called lesser apes, and differ from great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans) in being smaller, generally monogamous, in not making nests, and in certain anatomical details in which they more closely resemble monkeys than the great apes do. They occur in tropical and subtropical rainforests from northeast India to Indonesia and north to southern China. Gibbons are masters of their primary mode of locomotion, brachiation, allowing them to swing from branch to branch distances of up to 50 feet, at speeds as much as 35 mph. Strongly territorial, they defend their boundaries with vigorous visual and vocal displays. The vocal element, which can often be heard for long distances, consists of a duet between the mated pair, the young animals sometimes joining in. This eerie song can make them an easy find for poachers who engage in the illegal wildlife trade and sales of body parts for use in traditional medicine. Most species are threatened or endangered, and the most important reason is degradation or loss of their forest habitat.
The species include the Siamang, the Lar Gibbon or White-Handed Gibbon, and the Hoolock Gibbon. The Siamang, which is the largest, is distinguished by having two digits on each side stuck together, hence the subgenus and species names Synphalangus and syndactylus.
|
|
Source: Wikipedia Read more about Gibbons and Siamangs
|
|
|
AUDIO CLIPS
|
Gibbon 1.670MB WAV Hear Sound International Primate Protection League
Gibbon Song
|
Gibbon 1.300MB WAV Hear Sound International Primate Protection League
Gibbon Song
|
Siamang 0.160MB AIFF Hear Sound Honolulu Zoo
Siamang
|
Gibbon Streaming RAM Hear Sound ThinkQuest
The gibbons are renowned to be one of the noisest apes. They hoot and whoop, the whoops often beginning slowly and softly, culminating in high pitched shriek. This snippet presents the whooping calls.
|
White-Handed Gibbon 0.120MB AIFF Hear Sound Honolulu Zoo
"This territory is marked by a whooping, piercing "song," which broadcasts precise information on the species and sex of individuals". Call of a white-handed gibbon
|
Gibbon 0.130MB WAV Hear Sound JungleWalk
Audio clip of a gibbon.
|
Siamang Streaming RAM Hear Sound BBC
The eery sound of a Siamang gibbon singing
|
Siamang 0.000MB RM Hear Sound Primate Communication - Palomar College
Siamang Vocalizations.
|
White-handed Gibbon 0.530MB WAV Hear Sound Zoo School
Male
|
White-handed Gibbon 0.230MB WAV Hear Sound Zoo School
Female
|
White-handed Gibbon 0.360MB WAV Hear Sound Zoo School
Male and Female Duet
|
White-Cheeked Gibbon 0.350MB WAV Hear Sound Harry Foundalis Home Page
White-Cheeked Gibbon
|
Siamang 0.500MB WAV Hear Sound Harry Foundalis Home Page
Siamang
|
|