SIAMANG
Image: Female siamang "Raya"
born May 23rd, 2023
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Symphalangus syndactylus
HOUSE NAME: Female "Raya"
HABITAT: Rainforest with home range up to 100 acre tracts of Sumatra and Malaysia
CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered
CONSERVATION RESOURCES:
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo PalmOil Scan Mobile App
FUN FACT:
Although all gibbons call to each other, the siamangs call is the loudest and can be heard two miles away. They are especially noisy at dusk and dawn. Calling serves to announce and reinforce territories, especially to establish eating and sleeping trees, and to develop the bond between male and female. A quieter group will give way to a louder group.
DESCRIPTION:
Average height 29.5 to 35 inches (~2 ½ feet) tall with males being slightly larger than females. Arm span can be as wide as 4.9 ft and weigh about 17-28 pounds. They have long, silky, black hair; no hair on face, low forehead, and broad nose. Their canine teeth are formidable for attack, and they have excellent vision. They have cup-shaped hands for gripping, and their thumb extends from wrist. They have strong legs and use them to walk upright, their second and third toes are webbed (only gibbon with this trait). They can grasp things with both their hands and feet. Their throat sac enlarges to amplify call, which can be used to define territory, the female barks, and the male screams. Their rump has calluslike pads and no tail.