Species group · Mammals

Gibbons

WAnimals has 4 species of gibbon, all in the family Hylobatidae.

4 species
1 family
13 countries
16 parks
Weight
4 kg – 8 kg
Length
42 cm – 64 cm
Lifespan
28 – 35 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 4.

All 4 species of gibbons on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

3 Endangered1 Critically Endangered

4 especies in this group están en alguna categoría de riesgo real según la UICN.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 13 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • Brachiating, it can exceed 15 kilometres an hour, with phases in which both hands are free and the animal is literally flying between branches several metres apart.

    From Lar Gibbon

  • Its coat colour distinguishes neither sex nor subspecies: a single family may contain both black and cream individuals, and any one animal keeps its shade for life.

    From Lar Gibbon

  • Every morning the pair sings a duet: the female begins a very powerful rising sequence and the male answers with his own phrase, a ritual that advertises the territory and reinforces the bond.

    From Agile Gibbon

  • In a single swing it can cover three metres between branches, and its shoulders have a ball-and-socket joint that lets it rotate the arm almost fully.

    From Agile Gibbon

  • The pair's duet is so distinctive that researchers use it to census whole populations without seeing a single animal: each song identifies an occupied territory.

    From Pileated Gibbon

  • Male and female are so different in colour that they are often taken for different species: he is black with white extremities, she silvery with a black crown.

    From Pileated Gibbon

  • The pairs sing coordinated duets that mark out their territory.

    From Northern White-cheeked Gibbon

  • It changes colour twice in its life: the young are born gold like their mother, within a few months they turn black like the father, and at puberty the females return to gold while the males stay black.

    From Northern White-cheeked Gibbon

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one