Species group · Mammals

Orangutans

WAnimals has 3 species of orangutan, all in the family Hominidae.

3 species
1 family
3 countries
9 parks
Weight
30 kg – 90 kg
Length
1 m – 1.5 m
Lifespan
40 – 45 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 3.

All 3 species of orangutans on WAnimals

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

Conservation status

3 Critically Endangered

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

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 3 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • 'Orangutan' means 'person of the forest' in Malay.

    From Bornean Orangutan

  • It builds a fresh nest to sleep in every night.

    From Bornean Orangutan

  • It can use simple tools to get at food.

    From Bornean Orangutan

  • It has the longest interval between births of any mammal: a female gives birth to a single infant every eight or nine years, which makes the species recover extremely slowly from any loss.

    From Sumatran Orangutan

  • It makes tools: it prepares sticks to extract the seeds from the spiny fruits of Neesia and to winkle termites and insects out of tree hollows.

    From Sumatran Orangutan

  • Formally described in 2017, it is the most recently identified great ape and one of the most threatened on the planet.

    From Tapanuli Orangutan

  • It is the most threatened great ape in the world: its entire population would fit into a small village.

    From Tapanuli Orangutan

  • Genetic analyses indicate that its lineage separated from that of the Bornean and Sumatran orangutans more than three million years ago, although it was not recognised as a species until 2017.

    From Tapanuli Orangutan

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one