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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing gibbons. Gibbons are not monkeys. They are often referred to as lesser or small apes because they are smaller than the great apes like gorillas. On average, gibbons range from 11 to 24 pounds (5-11kg) in weight and 1.3 to 2.1 feet (40-65cm) in height, though siamangs, a group that will probably get their own video at some point, can be up to three feet (90cm) tall from head to bum. Like other apes, gibbons don’t have tails, but they’re highly specialized for where they live.

Gibbons can be found throughout Southeast Asia including the mainland from southern India to China as well as islands such as Sumatra, Borneo, and Java. They live in primary, or old growth wet forests - or otherwise forests that have been left undisturbed. Gibbons are arboreal, meaning they spend most of their time in trees, and their long arms are a testament to this.

These apes get around using brachiation which is the term used to describe their behavior of swinging through trees using their arms. Gibbons can leap up to 30 feet (9m) in a single jump, exceed 10 feet (3m) in a single swing, and move as swiftly as a flying bird through the branches. Their long forearms help with this, but also paint a target on these endangered animals.

Nearly all gibbon species are listed as endangered or critically endangered. They face natural predators such as large cats like leopards and tigers, eagles, snakes and more, but their greatest threats are humans. Habitat loss as well as poaching for their prized long arm bones have caused gibbon populations to plummet. When gibbons do face natural predators, instead of running away, they have been observed gathering their family members and shouting loudly from the treetops almost as if to say, “we know you’re here, there’s no point in hunting us now!”

Most species, of which there are about 20 alive today, are not sexually dimorphic, though siamang males can appear larger than females. Siamangs are included in the gibbons that possess a throat pouch which they use to vocalize. Gibbons live mostly in single pair groups that consist of a bonded pair and their most recent offspring, though sometimes these groups can include other adult individuals. The groups are territorial and will make calls to ward others off their land; they’ll also call to each other re-establish their bonds. Here are some gibbons singing to each other in action:

Gibbons give birth every two to fives years, gestation lasts about seven months, and the young will remain in their parent’s group for about ten years before their same sex parent eventually kicks them out to go start their own family. Unlike the great apes, such as gorillas, gibbons do not build nests. Gibbons reach sexual maturity at around ten years of age. It’s believed gibbons are long lived and in captivity they’ve been known to reach 60 years old though in the wild they may only reach half that age.

Gibbons eat fruit, leaves, and invertebrates like termites, however, they aren’t known to use tools like chimpanzees.

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