Primates

Gorillas are shy, intelligent animals

Apes are a fascinating group of animals which consists of 2 families: the family hylobatidae, and hominidae.
Hylobatidae consists of 4 genera and 13 species of gibbons, including the Lar gibbon and the siamang,
collectively known as the lesser apes. Hominidae encompases orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and
humans. A few other primates, such as the Barbary ape, have the word "ape" in their common names
(usually to indicate lack of a tail), but they are not regarded as true apes. We hope you enjoy this
exciting information and if you encounter any terms that you don't recognize, please be sure to
check out our glossary for their meanings.

All true apes are excellent climbers, though humans and gorillas aren't quite as adept as the others.
They are mostly omnivorous, taking advantage of whatever food source is available. Apes are native
to Africa and Asia, though humans have spread all over the planet. Most ape species are rare or
endangered. The chief threat to most of the endangered species is loss of tropical rainforest
habitat, though some populations are further impacted by hunting for bushmeat.

Hylobatidae
    
Siamang gibbons having a shouting match, lar gibbon just hangin' around 

The gibbon family, Hylobatidae, is composed of thirteen medium-sized species. Their major distinction
is their long arms, which they use to brachiate through the trees. As an evolutionary adaptation to a
life in the trees, their wrists are ball and socket joints. All gibbons are from Asia and are very slender.
Unlike all of the larger ape species, gibbons have little sexual dimorphism in body size. The long arms,
permanently curved fingers, and light bodies of gibbons make them excellent brachiators. This is also
referred to as suspensory climbing. At times, gibbons also walk bipedally on top of branches. However,
they are more efficient at brachiation, and 90% of their locomotion is by this means. Each swing can
transport a gibbon 20 feet (6 m.) at speeds approaching 35 miles (56 km.) an hour!

Gibbons are monogamous in their mating patterns and form nuclear family groups, which means that
their communities consist of a single mating pair of adults with their juvenile offspring. They live in
well defined territories in the tree tops and rarely go down to the forest floor. Adults regularly defend
their territory against others of their species with piercingly loud whooping and hooting vocalizations.
Though the calls of the latter two primates sound very different. The calls of different gibbon species
are easily distinguished from each other as well. When they are vocalizing, the front of the necks of
gibbons and siamangs expand with air, much like a balloon.

Hominidae
        
Mother and baby orangutan, silverback gorilla, A beautiful bonobo

Orangutans are the largest and the rarest of the Asian hominid apes. Males often grow to
175-200 pounds (80-90 kg.) and 4.5 feet (1.4 m.) tall. At this size, they are usually too large
to cross from one tree to another by the branches and must go down to the ground and walk
quadrupedally between them. There is marked sexual dimorphism among the orangutans. Males
have huge fleshy pads framing the upper part of their faces. In addition, females weigh only
about half as much as the males (73-99 lbs or 33-45 kg.). Being lighter, females and juveniles
often stay in the trees and use a leaning form of brachiation--they carefully shift their body
weight to bend a supporting branch and then grab the next one before the first one breaks.

Orangutans are intelligent and generally peaceful animals. Most of the time, they live solitary
lives browsing fruits and leaves. Some also create simple stick tools to get honey out of bee
hives in tree crevices or termites out of mounds. Unfortunately, the orangutans are in danger
of extinction in the wild because they are hunted for the illegal international pet trade and for
bush meat. Their forest territories are also being rapidly cut down for the lumber and cleared for
farming, especially in Indonesia where most of them live. According to Conservation International,
the 15,000 remaining Indonesian orangutans are currently disappearing at a rate of 1,000 per year.
When population size decreases, there is a corresponding decrease in genetic diversity. Species
that have little genetic diversity are more easily driven to extinction by a changing environment.
The loss of habitat has decimated gibbons in Indonesia as well. However, they are not at as
much a risk of becoming extinct because their range extends widely over Southeast Asia.

The largest apes are the gorillas of Africa. Adult males are up to 6 feet (1.8 m.) tall and have
9-10 foot (2.7-3.0 m.) arm spans! They have massive heads with heavy, thick muscles on top
that are used to close powerful jaws. Their bodies are also very muscular. Like humans, gorillas
are terrestrial animals. They are quadrupedal knuckle walkers, meaning they walk on the soles of
their feet but not on the palms of their hands. They bend their fingers and support the front of
their bodies with their knuckles instead of their open palms. They are shy, peaceful vegetarians
who live in family groups consisting of a dominant adult male called a silverback with several
adult female mates and their children. Subadult males are tolerated in the family as long as they
are not actively competing with the dominant male for mates. Gorillas are also very sexually
dimorphic. Adult males average about 350 pounds (160 kg.) and reach 400 pounds (181 kg.)
in the wild, while most adult females are only about 155 pounds (70 kg.) and much less muscular.

There are three varieties, or subspecies, of gorillas. The rare mountain gorillas live at high
altitude in sparse woodlands in the mountains of Central Africa, while the more numerous
lowland gorilla varieties live in the dense forests of West Africa. Most of the gorillas in zoos
and in captivity are of the lowland varieties.

The common chimpanzees of Africa very closely resemble humans. Male chimps grow to
5.5 feet (1.7 m.) tall and average about 100 pounds (45 kg.) with 6 foot (1.8 m.) arm spans,
while females are usually only around 82 lbs. (37 kg.) and are less muscular. However, like the
other large apes, chimpanzees are more comfortable getting around quadrupedally. They are
also knuckle walkers like gorillas. The natural habitat of chimpanzees includes both tropical
forests and bordering savannas.

Bonobos are close relatives of common chimpanzees and they are sometimes referred to as
pygmy chimpanzees. Despite this name, they are only slightly smaller than the common chimps.
Bonobos usually have blacker hair with tufts at the side of their faces, longer arms and legs, as
well as slimmer bodies. Their vocalizations are also quite different from those of the common
chimpanzees. Like many of the Old World monkey species, adult female bonobos normally have
prominent "sexual skins." However, unlike monkeys, bonobo females are sexually receptive most
of the time and have large sexual skins throughout the year. Bonobos are unique among nonhuman
primates in primarily engaging in sexual intercourse face to face. Both heterosexual and homosexual
intercourse are common among bonobos. Copulation occurs frequently as a means of reducing
tension in the community and has become recreational for them. In this and other traits,
bonobos are like humans.

Bonobos have ever-changing social groupings similar to the common chimpanzees, although
bonobos are less excitable and aggressive. Male-female alliances also are more important for
bonobos. Older females at times even become group leaders.

Today, the bonobo range is limited to the forests south of the Zaire River in West Central
Africa, and there are considerably fewer of them than the common chimpanzees. Common
chimpanzees are the most successful of all apes in that there are more of them and they have
the widest geographic range. However, their numbers are significantly reduced and continue
to fall. A century ago, there were millions of them in the wild. Today, there are less than 200,000.
This sharp decline apparently has been mostly due to the rapid increase in human populations
and the accompanying natural habitat loss. the bushmeat trade has also taken its toll, reducing
ape numbers even further. At least 4,000 chimpanzees are killed for their meat every year. Apes
and most monkeys are relatively large, noisy animals that are easy targets for hunters.
Chimpanzees and gorillas have suffered devastating Ebola epidemics as well. During 2002 and
2003, approximately 5,000 gorillas succumbed to this highly contagious, almost always fatal
disease. The bonobos are at an even greater risk of disappearing since there may be only
about 6,000 of them remaining in the wild. Gorillas and both species of chimpanzees have the
misfortune of living in nations in which wildlife protection has been severely disrupted by
civil wars and the breakdown of effective national authority over the last two decades. It is
unlikely that the populations of these apes would be able to spring back rapidly even if they
were more carefully protected because they have low reproductive rates. Under the best
conditions, adult female chimps usually only have one baby every 5 years.

Monkeys
    
Capuchin (New World Monkey) and Mandrill (Old World Monkey)

Malik isn't the only monkey we've cared for here at Naked Mole Rat Productions.
We've met all kinds, both Old World and New World.
There are 264 known species of monkey, though many new ones are found every year. Many
of these are endangered or threatened and require our help if they are going to survive.
Monkeys as a species include baboons, capuchins, macaques, guenons, and tamarins, but
exclude apes, marmosets, lemurs, and tarsiers. We hope you enjoy this information and if
you encounter any terms that you don't recognize, please be sure to check out our glossary for their meanings.

Old World monkeys are of the order Catarrhini and are unlike apes in that most have tails
and unlike the New World monkeys, in that their tails are never prehensile. The Old World
monkeys are native to Africa and Asia, inhabiting a range of environments from tropical rain
forest, savanna, scrubland, and mountainous terrain. Old World monkeys are unlike apes in
that most have tails and unlike the New World monkeys in that their tails are never prehensile.
Old World monkeys are medium to large in size and range from arboreal forms, such as the
colobus monkeys, to fully terrestrial forms, such as the Mandrill. The smallest is the
Talapoin, 34-37 cm in length, and weighing between 0.7 and 1.3 kilograms, while the
largest is the male Mandrill at about 70 inches and weighing around 60 kilograms.

Most Old World monkeys are at least partially omnivorous, but all prefer plant matter which
forms the bulk of their diet. Leaf monkeys are the most vegetarian, though they will also eat
a small number of insects. Other species are highly opportunistic, primarily eating fruit but
also consuming almost any food items available, such as flowers, leaves, bulbs and rhizomes,
insects, snails, and even small animals.

Gestation in the Old World monkeys lasts between five and seven months. Births are usually
single, although, as with humans, twins do occasionally occur. The young are born relatively
well developed and are able to cling onto their mother's fur with their hands from birth.
Old World monkeys live in a mostly matrilineal troop. Males leave the group on reaching
adolescence and find a new troop to join though in many species, only a single adult male
lives with each group, driving off all rivals. Others are more tolerant, establishing hierarchical
relationships between dominant and subordinate males. Group sizes vary from smaller family
groups to related troops numbering 150 or more.

New World monkeys are found in South America and differ from Old World monkeys in several
aspects. The most prominent difference is the nose, which is the feature used most commonly
to distinguish between the two groups. The scientific name for the New World monkeys,
Platyrrhini, means "flat nosed". The noses of New World monkeys are flatter than the narrow
noses of the Old World monkeys, and have side-facing nostrils. New World monkeys also differ
from the Old World in that they have twelve premolars instead of eight. New World monkeys
in the family Atelidae are the only primates with tails that are prehensile. Many New World
monkeys are small and almost all are arboreal, so we typically know less about them than
their more easily observed Old World relatives.