White-Cheeked Gibbon

White-Cheeked Gibbon

Northern white-cheeked gibbon, Southern white-cheeked gibbon

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Infraorder
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Genus Nomascus
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
30 years
Top speed
56
35
km/hmph
km/h mph 
Weight
7-10
15.4-22
kglbs
kg lbs 
Height
45-60
17.7-23.6
cminch
cm inch 
Length
45-63
17.7-24.8
cminch
cm inch 

The northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys ) is a Critically Endangered species of gibbon native to South East Asia. It is closely related to the southern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus siki ), with which it was previously considered conspecific. The females of the two species are virtually indistinguishable in appearance.

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The genome of N. leucogenys was sequenced and published in 2011.

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Di

Diurnal

Fr

Frugivore

He

Herbivore

Ar

Arboreal

Zo

Zoochory

Sc

Scansorial

Te

Terrestrial

Te

Territorial

Mo

Monogamy

So

Social

Do

Dominance hierarchy

No

Not a migrant

W

starts with

Appearance

White-cheeked gibbons are small members of the ape family, and, as such, have no tail, which is a point of difference with monkeys. They are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males and females look different. Although they are all are born with a cream color, males become black (except for white cheek patches) when they are two years old. Females turn black at the same time, but once sexually mature, their color goes back to cream. Unweaned infants are a buff/white and juveniles are black. There are two species of these gibbons, being the Northern white-cheeked gibbon, as opposed to the Southern white-cheeked gibbon.

Distribution

Geography

Southeast Asia is the only place that White-cheeked gibbons are found. The northern group inhabits only northern Laos and northern Vietnam. The southern group lives in central Vietnam and southern Laos, ranging in the north from the Rao Nay and Nam Theun (Khading) rivers to the Thach Han and Banghiang rivers in the south. These gibbons live in lowland subtropical rainforests and rarely come down from the canopy to the forest floor.

White-Cheeked Gibbon habitat map

Climate zones

White-Cheeked Gibbon habitat map
White-Cheeked Gibbon
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Habits and Lifestyle

White-cheeked gibbons are arboreal diurnal animals that live mainly in forest canopies. They move from tree to tree by brachiation. They spend a lot of time eating. These gibbons live in small families, made up of an adult pair with their two young. Each family group is territorial and the beautiful songs of the gibbon are thought to enforce their territorial rights and reinforce the pair's bond. Singing normally happens in the early morning, taking about 10 to 20 minutes. The hierarchy within the family is in the order of the adult female being dominant, followed by the female offspring, then the male offspring, with the adult male being last. An important social activity is grooming between adults, between adults and young, and between sub-adults. Play behavior centered on an infant is another social activity common among these animals.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

White-cheeked gibbons are mostly frugivorous. Their favorite food is fruit pulp. They also eat flowers, leaves and insects.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
Year-round
PREGNANCY DURATION
7 months
BABY CARRYING
1 infant
INDEPENDENT AGE
6-7 years
FEMALE NAME
female
MALE NAME
male
BABY NAME
infant

White-cheeked gibbons form monogamous pairs and have just one mate throughout their life. They breed at any time of the year. A single offspring is born, following gestation of seven month, every two or three years. From birth, an infant cling to its mother, and newborns are often seen clinging to their mother's abdomen in a horizontal position, which allows their mothers to sit, as most gibbons do, with their knees up. Older infants sit on their mother's abdomen in a vertical position. Young are weaned early on in their second year. While being cared for by their parents, infants learn how to groom, what to eat and about basic social interactions as regards playing and social dominance. On reaching full maturity and becoming independent, around 6 to 7 years old, the offspring usually depart from the family group and seek their own territory and a mate.

Population

Population threats

White-cheeked gibbons are hunted as a source of food, for the pet trade and as a source for traditional "medicines". The value for traditional "medicine" of these animals is a major threat to them throughout their range, and was probably the main cause for the species' decline, including their presumed extinction in China. Habitat loss is also a threat, with wild forest being used as fuel wood or converted into farmland.

Population number

According to the IUCN Red List, there are no available population estimates for White-cheeked gibbons. Their numbers are decreasing today and Northern white-cheeked gibbons are classified as critically endangered (CR), while Southern white-cheeked gibbons are classified as endangered (EN) on the list of threatened species.

Ecological niche

Due to their diet, these gibbons are important as seed dispersers for certain plants.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • To signal aggression, White-cheeked gibbons use the common threat of widely opening their mouths and showing their teeth.
  • Other primates spend half their day foraging and half of it slumbering, but White-cheeked gibbons look for food throughout the whole day. They forage high up in the canopy early in the morning. When the canopy starts to heat up from the sun, they move to lower trees further down in the understory.
  • Gibbons are regarded as the most agile amongst the primate acrobats. They are able to travel distances of 30 ft (9 m) from tree to tree.
  • The 'morning chorus' is the name given to a very loud call made by White-cheeked gibbons every morning.
  • Gibbons walk on their two hind legs when on the ground and on branches. Therefore, they are perhaps the best model amongst the primates for the evolution of human bipedalism.
  • Gibbons are the primates with the longest arms.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_white-cheeked_gibbon
2. Southern White-Cheeked Gibbon Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_white-cheeked_gibbon
3. Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39895/0
4. Southern White-Cheeked Gibbon on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/39896/0

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