The Gibbon reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Gibbon

Sponsorship the way you would do it
Gibbons
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Primates
Suborder:Haplorhini
Superfamily:Hominoidea
Family:Hylobatidae
Genus:Hylobates
Species
See text
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.

External links