Unlike most other primates gibbons are monogamous (mating for life) and live in single family groups. A Gibbon family unit will occupy a territory and defend its boundaries by a vigorous vocal and visual display. Mated Gibbons sing to each other in spectacular, almost bird-like duets, and occasionally the young will join in.

Gibbons are some of the world's greatest trapeze artists. They have the ability to swing and leap distances of 50 feet from tree to tree at speeds of up to 35 mph and the fact that they may be 200 feet above the ground does not seem to concern them. 

The number of surviving gibbon species is generally put at between thirteen and fifteen, depending on how the sub-species are classified. Their colourations range from cream to brown, and grey to black. In some species the males and females have a sex-specific colouration, whilst the colours of infants in some species are different from the adults. They can be divided into four groups in terms of their physical  characteristics.These are Crested Gibbons, Siamangs,hHoolock Gibbons and Agile Gibbonsis mode of locomotion i.e. swinging beneath branches, while suspended by their hands, is called brachiating. (The spider monkeys of South America also move about in this way, but unlike Gibbons they have prehensile tails which they use as an extra limb)

Gibbons.. are small tree living apes native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia. They are an endangered species, threatened by a habitat loss of thousands of acres per day and a flourishing illegal wildlife trade. 

Crested Gibbons

Tonkin Black Crested

Laotian Black Crested

Eastern Black Crested

Hainan

Northern White Cheeked

Southern White Cheeked

Buff Cheeked

Found in...

North Vietnam

Northwest Laos

N E Vietnam, Southern China

Hainan Island (China)

North Vietnam & Laos

Central Vietnam & South Laos

S Vietnam, S Laos, E Cambodia

Siamangs

Sumatran Siamang

Malaysian Siamang

Found in...

Sumatra

Malaysia

Hoolock or White-Brown Gibbon

Western Hoolock

Eastern Hoolock

Found in...

Northeast India & Bangladesh

Southwest Yunnan & N.E. India

Agile Gibbons

Lowland Agile Gibbon

Bearded Gibbon

Kloss Gibbon

White Handed Lar Gibbon

Moloch, Silvery, or Javan Gibbon

Muellers, Bornean, or Grey Gibbon

Abbotts Grey Gibbon

Northern Muellers Gibbon

Pilleated, or Capped Gibbon

Found In...

East Sumatra & North Malaysia

Southwest Borneo

Mentawai Islands

Myanmar, Thailand, Yunnan, Malaysia & Sumatra

Java

Southeast Borneo

West Borneo

North Borneo

Southeast Thailand, West Cambodia & Laos

Gibbons are “Old World Apes”. They have no tail and are found across Asia. Their New World, South American Contempories, such as Spider Monkeys have long prehensile tails which they can use to grip branches and for balance.

This is Oliver

Yoko

The largest gibbons are the Siamangs which are also the World’s loudest land mammals. Our gibbons are all White Handed Lar Gibbons and they are also quite vocal. Their singing carries long distances and this is how they are able to communicate in dense tropical forests in the wild.