Gibbon (family Hylobatidae)

Mammal Ape Arboreal

Overview

Gibbons are small, slender apes of the family Hylobatidae, sometimes called the “lesser apes” to set them apart from the great apes. Found in the tropical and subtropical forests of South and Southeast Asia, they are among the most acrobatic of all primates, spending almost their entire lives high in the canopy. The animal shown here is the lar, or white-handed, gibbon (Hylobates lar).

Gibbons are known for two things above all: their spectacular arm-swinging travel through the trees and their loud, musical calls. They typically live in small family groups built around a bonded pair.

Conservation note: many gibbon species are under significant pressure from habitat loss and other threats, with several considered at high risk in the wild. Verify each species' current status at iucnredlist.org before relying on it.

Classification

Gibbons form their own ape family, Hylobatidae, with several genera and many species — including the larger siamang. They are apes, but a separate lineage from the great apes such as the orangutan.

Habitat & Range

Gibbons inhabit tropical and subtropical rainforest across parts of South and Southeast Asia. They are highly dependent on tall, continuous forest with a connected canopy, which they need both for travel and for the fruiting trees that supply much of their food.

Movement & Diet

Gibbons travel mainly by brachiation, swinging beneath branches on their long arms and hook-like hands at speed. Their diet is dominated by ripe fruit, supplemented by leaves, flowers, and small amounts of animal prey such as insects. Their movement and feeding are tightly linked to the distribution of fruiting trees in the canopy.

Behavior & Social Life

Gibbons usually live in small family groups centred on a bonded adult pair and their offspring. Pairs often perform coordinated song duets that ring through the forest at dawn, advertising and defending their territory. Young gibbons stay with the family for several years before dispersing.

Appearance & Recognition

Gibbons have very long arms relative to their body, dense fur, a tailless body, and an upright posture when not swinging. Coat colour varies by species, sex, and age; the lar gibbon, for example, ranges from cream to dark brown with pale hands, feet, and face ring. The combination of long arms, canopy acrobatics, and loud calls makes gibbons distinctive.

Human Interaction & Conservation

The principal threats to gibbons are loss and fragmentation of forest, along with other pressures in some areas. Because they need connected canopy, fragmentation is especially harmful. Conservation centres on protecting and reconnecting forest habitat. Current, species-specific data should be drawn from the IUCN Red List.

More photos of the gibbon