Siamang

Acrobatics in the highest treetops
Siamangs are the largest members of the Southeast Asian gibbon family, which are in turn referred to as “small apes.” In addition to their high intellectual abilities, characteristics of great apes include the fact that they have no tails and can walk upright on two legs. This looks particularly amusing in gibbons. Although they could easily use their long arms for support, they stretch them out wide to the sides, away from their bodies. Walking on two legs, however, is not their preferred mode of locomotion.

Idyllic Family Life
The family life of black monkeys seems to be perfect. Once a pair has found each other, they stay together for life. A young is born every two years and is initially cared for mainly by the mother. After a few months, however, the father also begins to care for their offspring. While he usually takes on the active role and plays a great deal with the young, the mother serves as the calming influence, offering comfort when problems arise. Over the course of their life together, a pair develops a unique song that both acoustically marks their territory and strengthens their bond. The sound is amplified by a throat sac that can be inflated to a size larger than their head, resulting in territories of up to 40 hectares. Once the young are fully grown, they must leave the family and find their own territory.

Did you know?

Siamangs live on Sumatra and in Malaysia. The word “siamang” is Malay and means “black.” The last siamang baby was born in 2015 and is named Yala.