The gibbon is a small ape, of which there are roughly 20 species, that inhabits the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Gibbons are similar to the great apes, such as gorillas , orangutans , chimpanzees , and bonobos , in that they have a humanlike build and no tail. Gibbons are arboreal creatures who move swiftly through the trees by swinging from branch to branch using their arms. They live in small monogamous groups and are active during the day. Gibbon species can be divided into four genera: Hoolock , Hylobates , Nomascus , and Symphalangus . Most gibbon species grow to between 16 and 26 inches in head and body length, but the siamang ( Symphalangus syndactylus ) can grow to be 35 inches long. Gibbons are under increasing threat as their forest habitat is destroyed; they may be the most endangered group of primates on Earth.

Where do gibbons live?

Gibbons, small apes belonging to the family Hylobatidae, inhabit the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These arboreal primates use their long arms to move swiftly through the trees, a method called brachiation. Different species of gibbons reside in various locations: * The dark-handed gibbon lives on Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. * The white-handed gibbon can be found from northern Sumatra through Thailand and into Yunnan, China. * The pileated gibbon inhabits southeastern Thailand and western Cambodia. * The siamang is native to the forests of Sumatra and Malaysia. * The hoolock gibbon lives from Myanmar into Assam, India, and Bangladesh. Gibbons are increasingly threatened due to the destruction of their forest habitat, and many species are now endangered.

What do gibbons look like?

Gibbons are small apes native to Southeast Asia's tropical forests. They share a humanlike build with great apes but have longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac for amplifying sound. Most gibbon species measure between 40 and 65 cm in head and body length, but the siamang can reach 90 cm. Smaller species weigh around 5.5 kg, while others can weigh up to 7.5 kg. Siamangs exhibit sexual dimorphism, with females weighing about 10.5 kg and males 12 kg. The lar gibbons have the densest body hair and are the smallest. Some species, such as the dark-handed gibbon, can be tan or black and have white facial markings. The sexes of the silvery gibbon and the white-bearded gibbon look alike.

How do gibbons move through the trees?

Gibbons are known for their unique way of moving through trees. They use brachiation , a specialized form of arboreal locomotion, to swing from branch to branch with great speed and agility. This is possible due to their long forelimbs, hook-like fingers, and highly mobile shoulder joints. Gibbons are true brachiators, meaning they primarily use their arms to swing from one place to another. When on the ground, they walk upright, holding their arms up or behind them for balance.

Gibbons are primates that primarily eat fruit, but they also consume leaves in varying amounts. They supplement their diet with insects, bird eggs, and young birds. Gibbons are arboreal creatures who move swiftly through the trees, and their diet is a factor of their ecology and is closely related to locomotor pattern and body size. Though primates are typically omnivorous, gibbons show a preference for fruits and leaves.

How are gibbons different from other primates like monkeys and apes?

Gibbons are small apes native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. While gibbons share a humanlike build and lack a tail, like the great apes (such as gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos), they differ in several ways. Gibbons seem to lack higher cognitive abilities and self-awareness, and they also have longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac for amplifying sound. Gibbons are arboreal, moving swiftly through trees by swinging from branch to branch. On the ground, they walk upright, holding their arms up or behind them. They live in small, monogamous groups and are active during the day, feeding mainly on fruit, leaves, insects, and bird eggs. The siamang, a member of the gibbon family, is unique for having webbing between its second and third toes and a distinctive air sac in its throat used to produce booming calls.

gibbon

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Two northern white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys), one dark-furred male and one lighter-furred female, sit on a tree branch with long arms extended overhead for balance. A scale bar shows their approximate size.

A siamang (Hylobates syndactylus) with black fur sits on rocky ground, facing left, with large rocks in the background.

A gorilla sits on a tree trunk with a blue arrow pointing to it. Large text reads, "What makes apes so special?" with trees and zoo habitat in the background.

The video thumbnail image shows two black and white photos of monkey and ape heads, surrounded by blue and pink circles.

Two gibbons (genus Hylobates), one light-colored and one dark, sit among tree branches in a lush green forest.

At a Glance

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Quick Facts

Related Topics:: Hylobates; Symphalangus; Nomascus; Hoolock; Kloss’s gibbon

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gibbon

primate

Also known as: Hylobatidae

Written and fact-checked by

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Last updated

Sep. 28, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a gibbon?
The gibbon is a small ape, of which there are roughly 20 species, that inhabits the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Gibbons are similar to the great apes, such as gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos, in that they have a humanlike build and no tail. Gibbons are arboreal creatures who move swiftly through the trees by swinging from branch to branch using their arms. They live in small monogamous groups and are active during the day.

Gibbon species can be divided into four genera: Hoolock, Hylobates, Nomascus, and Symphalangus. Most gibbon species grow to between 16 and 26 inches in head and body length, but the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) can grow to be 35 inches long. Gibbons are under increasing threat as their forest habitat is destroyed; they may be the most endangered group of primates on Earth.
1 Britannica Source
1. gibbon
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Where do gibbons live?
Gibbons, small apes belonging to the family Hylobatidae, inhabit the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These arboreal primates use their long arms to move swiftly through the trees, a method called brachiation.

Different species of gibbons reside in various locations:
* The dark-handed gibbon lives on Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.
* The white-handed gibbon can be found from northern Sumatra through Thailand and into Yunnan, China.
* The pileated gibbon inhabits southeastern Thailand and western Cambodia.
* The siamang is native to the forests of Sumatra and Malaysia.
* The hoolock gibbon lives from Myanmar into Assam, India, and Bangladesh.

Gibbons are increasingly threatened due to the destruction of their forest habitat, and many species are now endangered.
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What do gibbons look like?
Gibbons are small apes native to Southeast Asia's tropical forests. They share a humanlike build with great apes but have longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac for amplifying sound.

Most gibbon species measure between 40 and 65 cm in head and body length, but the siamang can reach 90 cm. Smaller species weigh around 5.5 kg, while others can weigh up to 7.5 kg. Siamangs exhibit sexual dimorphism, with females weighing about 10.5 kg and males 12 kg.

The lar gibbons have the densest body hair and are the smallest. Some species, such as the dark-handed gibbon, can be tan or black and have white facial markings. The sexes of the silvery gibbon and the white-bearded gibbon look alike.
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2. gibbon
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How do gibbons move through the trees?
Gibbons are known for their unique way of moving through trees. They use brachiation, a specialized form of arboreal locomotion, to swing from branch to branch with great speed and agility. This is possible due to their long forelimbs, hook-like fingers, and highly mobile shoulder joints. Gibbons are true brachiators, meaning they primarily use their arms to swing from one place to another. When on the ground, they walk upright, holding their arms up or behind them for balance.
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What do gibbons eat?
Gibbons are primates that primarily eat fruit, but they also consume leaves in varying amounts. They supplement their diet with insects, bird eggs, and young birds. Gibbons are arboreal creatures who move swiftly through the trees, and their diet is a factor of their ecology and is closely related to locomotor pattern and body size. Though primates are typically omnivorous, gibbons show a preference for fruits and leaves.
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2. primate: Diet
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How are gibbons different from other primates like monkeys and apes?
Gibbons are small apes native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. While gibbons share a humanlike build and lack a tail, like the great apes (such as gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos), they differ in several ways. Gibbons seem to lack higher cognitive abilities and self-awareness, and they also have longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac for amplifying sound.

Gibbons are arboreal, moving swiftly through trees by swinging from branch to branch. On the ground, they walk upright, holding their arms up or behind them. They live in small, monogamous groups and are active during the day, feeding mainly on fruit, leaves, insects, and bird eggs. The siamang, a member of the gibbon family, is unique for having webbing between its second and third toes and a distinctive air sac in its throat used to produce booming calls.
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2. gibbon
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gibbon, (family Hylobatidae), any of approximately 20 species of small apes found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Gibbons, like the great apes (gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos), have a humanlike build and no tail, but gibbons seem to lack higher cognitive abilities and self-awareness. They also differ from great apes in having longer arms, dense hair, and a throat sac used for amplifying sound. Gibbon voices are loud, are musical in tone, and carry over long distances. The most characteristic vocalization is the “great call,” usually a duet in which the female leads and the male joins in with less complex notes, used as a territorial marker by both sexes. The various species of gibbons can be divided into four genera: Hoolock, Hylobates, Nomascus, and Symphalangus. Molecular data indicate that the four groups are as different from one another as chimpanzees are from humans.

Gibbons are arboreal and move from branch to branch with speed and great agility by swinging from their arms (brachiating). On the ground, gibbons walk erect with the arms held aloft or behind. They are active during the day and live in small monogamous groups that defend territories in the treetops. They feed mainly on fruit, with varying proportions of leaves and with some insects and bird eggs as well as young birds. Single offspring are born after about seven months’ gestation and take seven years to mature.

Most gibbon species are about 40–65 cm (16–26 inches) in head and body length, but the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) can grow up to 90 cm (35 inches). The smaller species (both sexes) weigh about 5.5 kg (12 pounds); others, such the concolor gibbon, weigh about 7.5 kg (17 pounds). The female siamang weighs 10.5 kg (23 pounds) and the male 12 kg (26 pounds); the siamang is the only gibbon with a significant size difference between the sexes.

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

The lars, a group of species classified in the genus Hylobates, are the smallest and have the densest body hair. The dark-handed gibbon (Hylobates agilis), which lives on Sumatra south of Lake Toba and on the Malay Peninsula between the Perak and Mudah rivers, may be either tan or black and has white facial markings. The white-handed gibbon (H. lar), of northern Sumatra and most of the Malay Peninsula northward through Thailand into Yunnan, China, is similar but has white extremities. The pileated gibbon (H. pileatus), of southeastern Thailand and western Cambodia, has white hands and feet; the male is black and the female buff with a black cap and chest patch. The difference in colour comes about with age; the juveniles are buff and both sexes darken with age, but the male does so much more rapidly. Kloss’s gibbon (H. klossii), from the Mentawai Islands west of Sumatra, is completely black throughout its life. The sexes look alike in the silvery gibbon (H. moloch) of Java and in the white-bearded (H. albibarbis) and Müller’s (H. muelleri) gibbons, both from different parts of Borneo.

In the concolor group, which is classified in the genus Nomascus, both sexes are black as juveniles, but the females lighten to buff with maturity, so that the two sexes look quite different as adults. The males have an upstanding tuft of hair on top of the head and a small inflatable throat sac. All species live east of the Mekong River. The cao vit gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) lives in a small mountainous pocket along the border of China and Vietnam. The black crested gibbon (N. concolor) is found from southern China into northernmost Vietnam and Laos. The northern white-cheeked gibbon, or white-cheeked gibbon (N. leucogenys), and the southern white-cheeked gibbon (N. siki) are found farther south. The red-cheeked gibbon (N. gabriellae) lives in southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia.

The remaining two groups each contain only one or two species. The siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) inhabits the forests of Sumatra and Malaysia. The hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) is found from Myanmar (Burma) west of the Salween River into Assam, India, and Bangladesh. Adult males are black and females are brown, with colour changes similar to those seen in the concolor group. Both sexes have throat sacs and much harsher voices than those of the lar and concolor groups. The large and entirely black siamang is found alongside white- and dark-handed gibbons on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Both sexes have a large throat sac, and their vocal repertoire includes a very harsh shrieking and booming call. The male has a prominent tassel of hair on the front of the lower abdomen.

Gibbons may be the most endangered groups of primates on Earth. Although they are still widely distributed in the rainforests and monsoon forests of Southeast Asia, they are increasingly under threat as their forest habitat is being destroyed. Nearly all gibbon species are considered endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources; the eastern hoolock gibbon (H. leuconedys) of northern Myanmar is classified as a vulnerable species. Gibbons of all types are hunted for food and killed for their supposed medicinal properties.

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