lar GIBBON
other names
White Headed Gibbon
description & locomotion
When standing the Lar Gibbon is 2 feet tall or 61cm. They can weigh up to 5-7kg. They got their other name the White Handed Gibbon from their white hands. Like all gibbons they swing through the trees and almost hover to come to the ground. But when they do they run on their hind legs and with their long arms in the air.
diet
Their diet consists of ripe fruit, new leaves & shoots as well as flowers & insects.
habitat
Rainforests in Southeast Asia.
lifespan
The Lar Gibbon lives 25-40 years of age.
breeding, caring for young & family groups
When born they weigh 300 grams. Lar Gibbons have small family groups. They will have a adult male & female with a couple of young. The male and the female usually stay together for life. Only every 2-3 years will she give birth to one baby! The female will feed the baby milk until he/her is about 2 years of age. The young leave their parents and become sexually mature when 8 years of age. A pair of Lar Gibbons have their own territory and they keep other gibbons out of their territory with a series of whooping calls.
threats
Like all gibbons they are endangered. Their habitat is being destroyed by Palm Oil and farms, being hunted for meat, being sold as pets. Many of them die when they are taken from the wild for pets because they arn't probably cared for!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- Have a Palm Oil free diet.
- Don't get them as pets.
- Spread the message.
- Support & raise money for Lar Gibbon conservation.
image credits
www.arkive.org