The siamang is the largest and darkest species

of gibbon. Siamangs are rare, small, slender,

long-armed, tree-dwelling (lesser) apes. These
very acrobatic primates live in southeast Asia.
Siamangs are arboreal; they spend most of their
lives in trees. Because they are so dextrous while
moving in the trees, almost no predators can
catch them. The siamang is one of nine species
of gibbons. The siamang is the largest, darkest,
and noisiest species of gibbon. Because of the
rapid deforestation of their habitats, gibbons are
an endangered species.
ANATOMY
Siamangs are very small and lightweight. They
have a small, round head, very long arms (the
arms are longer than the legs), and a short,
slender body. Siamangs, like all gibbons, have
lightweight bones. Like all apes, they have no
tail.
Hair:
Siamangs are covered with long, dense, shaggy,
black hair on most of their body (except their
face, fingers, palms, armpits, and bottoms of
their feet). Siamangs are the darkest type
ofgibbon.

Senses:
Siamangs have senses very similar to ours,
including hearing, sight (including color vision),
smell, taste, and touch.
Face:
Siamangs have an almost hairless face; they
have a slight mustache and beard. They have
dark eyes, small nostrils, and jet-black skin.
Hands and Feet:
Siamangs' hands are very much like ours; they
have four long fingers plus a smaller opposable
thumb. Their feet have five toes, including an
opposable big toe. Siamangs can grasp and carry
things with both their hands and their feet. When
they swing through the trees
(called brachiating), they use four fingers of
their hands like a hook (but they do not use the
thumb for this).
Unlike other gibbons, siamangs have webbing
between the 2nd and 3rd toes.
SIZE
Male siamangs are slightly larger than the
females. Males are about 3 ft (90 cm) long and
weigh about 15 pounds (7 kg). Siamangs have a
reach of about 5 feet (1.5 m). Siamangs are the

biggest type of gibbon and are the largest of the

lesser apes.
DIET
Siamangs are omnivores (eating plants and small
animals). They forage for food in the forests
during the day, eating fruit (which constitutes
about 75% of their diet), leaves, flowers, seeds,
tree bark, and tender plant shoots. They also eat
insects, spiders, bird eggs, and small birds.
Siamangs, like other gibbons, drink water. Often
they drink by dipping a furry hand into the water
or rubbing a hand on wet leaves, and then
slurping up the water from their fur.
BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL HABITS
Groups of Siamangs:
Siamangs are social animals that are active
during the day (they are diurnal). They live in
small, stable family groups consisting of a mated
pair (a male and a female who mate for life) and
their immature offspring (juveniles, siamangs
less than 7 years old).
Grooming:
Like other apes, siamangs groom one another
(they clean the hair of a family member using
their fingers).

Sleeping:
Unlike other apes, siamangs and gibbons do not
make "sleeping nests." They simply sleep (alone
or with a few individuals huddled together) in a
fork between branches. They sleep sitting
upright, resting on tough pads located on their
rear ends (these pads are called ischial
callosities).
Throat Sac:
Unlike other gibbons, siamangs have a throat sac
(also called a gular sac) which they can inflate to
be about the size of their head. This sac makes
their calls louder! Both males and females have a
throat sac. The inflatable throat sac makes the
siamangs the loudest of all the gibbons.
TERRITORIALITY AND VOCALIZATION
The siamang, unlike other gibbons, has an
inflatable throat sac. This sac can be inflated to
be as big as the siamang's head. It acts a
resonating chamber for the vocal cords, making
the sounds even louder. Their hooting can be
heard up to 2 miles (6.5 km) away through the
dense rain forest.
A siamang family has a territory of about 30 to
50 acres of old-growth rain forest. Each morning

upon awakening a family group of gibbons very

loudly announces its presence in the forest, using
a territorial hooting call and menacing gestures.
This call warns other siamangs to stay out of
their territory (and especially away from the local
fruit trees). This noisy display takes 1/2 hour or
more every morning and is usually started by the
adult female. The male and female have different
calls.
LOCOMOTION
Siamangs are extremely acrobatic and agile.
They spend most of their life in the trees. They
move by swinging gracefully from branches and
vines; this is called brachiating. When they
brachiate, they use four fingers of their hands
like a hook (but not the thumb). They can also
walk along small branches high up in the air, like
tightrope walkers; they use outstretched arms to
help keep their balance. Siamangs can also leap
acrobatically across large gaps in the tree canopy
from tree branch to tree branch; siamangs have
been known to leap over 30 feet (9 m) in a single
jump.
Siamangs cannot swim and avoid the water.
When on the ground (which is rare), siamangs
walk bipedally (on two legs).

LIFE SPAN
Siamangs live about 35-40 years. They do not do
very well in captivity.
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION
Siamangs live in the upper canopy (the tree tops)
of tropical rainforests in Malaysia and Sumatra (in
southeast Asia).