Gibbon - description, habitat, lifestyle

A gibbon is a medium-sized monkey. There are many prejudices that specifically affect this primate species. When a person hears about a gibbon, one involuntarily imagines an ugly large individual. In fact, the representatives of the family differ in their appearance, which touches. In this article we will study everything that affects the family under discussion. You can make your own opinion on the basis of the information received. By the way, there are quite a few gibbons, about 13 species.

Description

1. By color, the representatives of the family are very different. Some are pigmented in pure black, others are colored dark, closer to brown. Still others have in their color gray shades. Lower limbs are painted light, often white. The muzzle is black, there are light patches on it.The coat is thick, impregnated at the base, thanks to which primates are reliably protected from bad weather conditions.
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 life represented individuals are on a hill, like to sit in the trees, rarely go down. On it are sharpened limbs, which primates deftly wield, clutching and swaying on the branches. On the palms of five fingers.
3. The muzzle is bald, hair is missing, you can see the skin. It is pigmented by black, on the side parts there are light (almost always whitish) hairs. The eyes are located next to each other, the irises are brownish. Thanks to binocular vision, the individuals in question 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 like to eat food of plant origin. They prefer juicy, soft and fresh foliage. Season dishes with nuts, buds, other tasty berry and fruit fruits.They love rambutans and bananas very much. However, among the variety of gibbons there are those that lay on bird eggs. Some of them can attack small chicks and break the nests. They also include the everyday menu of various insects.
2. A distinctive feature of this type of primates is the inability to use water. They do not absorb liquid, as do dogs or cats, for example. The monkeys smear their limbs with water and then lick them. This replenishes fluid balance. 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 become accustomed to humans. They go on contact and seem slightly naive. That is why they often fall into the trap of poachers. Contain gibbons at home. A plus of primates is their peace-loving nature, anger is rarely and always on a certain occasion. In the matter of creating a family choosy. They live in small groups, as well as in couples or in splendid isolation.
4. In the natural environment, the lifetime may be about 23 years. But there are long-lived primates. There was a record when gibbon was 50 years old. Individuals of the species under discussion rarely give birth to offspring. The baby is born once in 3 years, sometimes less. Feeding is carried out with milk, parents do not let their offspring into a free life until he is 3 years old.

Habitat

1. First, we will affect the distribution zone. Members of the family prefer to live in China, its south-western part. They are also found in the east near the Malay Peninsula and Myanmar. Some individuals were found near Sumatra. For monkeys to fully exist, they need certain climatic conditions. These can be tropics or dry forests. Animals climb 2,000 kilometers above sea level.
2. There are no special differences in gender. In terms of size, body color, behavior, distribution, these individuals are almost identical. It happens that males are slightly smaller than females, but this is rare, an exception to the rule.
3. Animals show maximum activity in the daytime.They are famous for their long upper limbs, which wield cleverly, moving from branch to branch. Movement on the soil is minimal.

Characteristics

1. The individuals in question have amazing characteristics. Often they form family groups. In most cases, such families try to live in a separate territory. Such a family makes special sounds to warn its relatives and that this is their territory.
2. Often in such a family can meet from 2 to 7 individuals. Such a group is formed by a female with a male, then they have an offspring. It is often possible to observe that even elderly individuals live in such a family. Due to the fact that monkeys live in their own territory, conflicts often occur between neighbors. Primates do not fight, but only make threatening sounds and take poses.
3. Separately, it is worth telling how the individuals in question sleep. Such monkeys climb a tree with the most leaves. As soon as dawn comes, the animals climb to the top of the tree. At the peak, they begin to sing.Such actions may last for about 2 hours. And the whole family is involved.
4. It is noteworthy that the individuals in question are the only ones of their kind that are capable of producing melodious sounds. They project pure tones, like a man. At the same time, such animals are not specially trained in singing, such an ability appears from their 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 for hundreds of meters. Such monkeys are really unique and one of a kind.

Breeding

1. With regard to the breeding season, then a certain mating season simply does not exist. Considered individuals are monogamous. When such animals form a pair, they remain with each other throughout their lives.
2. Males reach sexual maturity at about 8 years of age. At this time, they are trying to find a chosen one from another family. During the crescent, he cares for his companion. Then a complete pair is formed.It is noteworthy that such monkeys very carefully select a partner for themselves. They adhere to personal preferences.
3. It is for this reason that breeding gibbons in captivity is extremely difficult. Quite rarely individuals can create a full-fledged couple. 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 a full-fledged group. Often parents grow old in such a group.
4. After mating, only one baby appears in the female. Moreover, such monkeys reproduce offspring only 1 time in 3 years. The pregnancy itself lasts for 7 months. In the first weeks after birth, the baby clings to the mother's belly and does not leave anywhere.
5. Then the male begins to make efforts to raise the offspring. Up to 2 years of age, young animals continue to be fed on breast milk. As mentioned earlier, individuals mature at about 8 years of age. It is interesting that in the wild animals live without problems to 25 years. In captivity this figure doubles.

In today's article we looked at monkeys,included in the mid-size category. They are distinguished by their peace-loving character, therefore they contact with a person with great success and are kept at home. These individuals like to eat vegetable food, but during a crisis they can stir up bird nests. They are more common in China, because the local climate is suitable for them. In size almost identical, painted dark.

Video: Gibbon teases tigers