Primates: The Amazing Apes

Together with humans, an ape is any member of the Hominoidea superfamily of primates. There are two families of hominoids, the gibbons which are called lesser apes and the chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans which are called the great apes. Compared to other primates, apes are large, intelligent creatures that have no visible tails and can stand more upright than monkeys.

Gibbon

image credit

Gibbons are small, slender and long-armed tree-dwelling apes with very flexible wrists and shoulders enabling them to swing from branch to branch quickly. Because they are so dexterous while moving in the trees, predators cannot easily catch them. Gibbons can swing through tree branches at distances up to 15 m (50 ft) and at speeds as high as 56 kph (35 mph). They can also leap up to 8 m (27 ft) and walk bipedally. These apes are the fastest and most agile among all tree-dwelling, non-flying animals. Also called lesser apes, gibbons are found in the tropical and subtropical rainforests from northeast India to Indonesia and north to southern China. Due to forest degradation and loss, most species are threatened or endangered.

Chimpanzee

image credit

Chimpanzees are very intelligent creatures. They communicate in a manner similar to human non-verbal communication, using vocalizations, hand gestures, and facial expressions and are one of the few animals to use tools. They shape sticks to help them pick insects from their nests or dig grubs out of logs. They smash open nuts with the help of stones and use leaves to act as sponges to soak up drinking water. These great apes are native to Africa preferring to live in dense tropical rainforest though they can also be found in secondary-growth forests, woodlands, bamboo forests, swamps, and even open savanna. Chimps are endangered species with bushmeat hunters and habitat destruction as its greatest threat.

Orangutan

image credit

Orangutans are great apes which are also known for their intelligence. They have been known to use tools like using leaves as umbrellas to keep them from getting wet from the rain and use leaves as cups to help them drink water. They live in trees and rarely go down to the jungle floor as they prefer to sleep and eat in the treetops. They are the largest living arboreal animals. Their arms are longer compared to other great apes and instead of the typical brown or black hairs of the other great apes, theirs are reddish-brown. Found only in the rainforests of the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, orangutans are the only great apes from Asia. In the Malay language, the word orangutan means “man of the forest.” Their population has thinned as they lose their habitat to people and their babies are being sold around the world as pets.

Gorilla

image credit

Gorillas are ground-dwelling apes which inhabit the forests of central Africa. They are the largest of the living primates. Although gorillas are sometimes portrayed as aggressive and dangerous killers, these great apes are in fact quiet, gentle, shy and peaceful vegetarians. Just like the other two great apes, gorillas are also considered highly intelligent and a few individuals have been taught the animal sign language. But, unlike the other two great apes, gorillas have never been observed using tools in the wild. While the two great apes are omnivores, gorillas are primarily herbivores and they move around by knuckle-walking. Today, they are in great danger of becoming extinct especially the mountain gorillas of which only about 600 are left.

You might like:

• The Ferocious Big Cats
• Strange-looking Primates
• The Largest Living Animals
• Eight Animals That Can Transmit Deadly Diseases to Humans