Siamang

ANIMAL:
Siamang        Symphalangus syndactylus

Type of Animal:
Gibbon

Habitat:
Hill forest, rainforest, monsoon forest, swamp forest, montane forest

Location(s):
Malay Peninsula & Sumatra

Appearance:
Largest gibbon species, black w/ gular throat sac used for loud calls, very long arms

Food/Diet:
Fruit, leaves, flowers, seeds, bark, shoots, insects, spiders, small birds, petals, vines, woody plants, buds, veggies, nuts, eggs, small rodents, small lizards, turtle/tortoise hatchlings

Status in Wild:
Endangered

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos & wildlife centers

Lifestyle:
Family troops of monogamous pair w/ 2-4 offspring

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young-Infant
Group-Troop

Weight:
Male-26.2 lbs
Female-23.6 lbs
Young-2.25 lbs

Gestation:
7.5 months 

Life Span:
25-30 years in wild, up to 40 years in captivity

Height:
Male-3 ft
Female-2.9 ft

Body Length:
Male-3 ft
Female-2.9 ft

Main predators are felids, crocodiles, & eagles.

Endangered due to logging, habitat loss, pet trade, forest fires, disease, poaching for medicinal trade, & human development.

Territories range from 50-100 acres.

Young stay w/ parents until they reach sexual maturity at 6-8 years old.

To designate territory, pairs sing duets lasting up to 15 minutes. These often consist of loud pant-hoots & each pair has their own unique duet.

Like all gibbons, they’re very arboreal & spend most of their time in the canopy.

Actual fights very rare among this species w/ displays & calls being more common.

Female dominant over male.

Due to habit of brachiating, bone fractures quite common.

They groom each other to reinforce bonds.

Females give birth every 2.5 years.

Fun Fact(s):
They can leap as far as 30 ft.

They awake at dawn & family often communally defecates together.

Often suspended by one arm during feeding time.

They don’t have a collar bone allowing for 360 degree arm movement.

Their arm span can reach up to 5 ft.

Their calls can be heard as far as 2 miles away & are the loudest of the gibbons.

While they look like monkeys, they’re actually apes since they lack tails.

They can cause lots of damage w/ their sharp canine teeth.

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