Kloss’s gibbon (Hylobates klossii)

Kloss's gibbon
Kloss's gibbon

Kloss’s gibbon fact file

Kloss’s gibbon description

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderPrimates
FamilyHylobatidae
GenusHylobates (1)

Both male and female Kloss’s gibbons (Hylobates klossii) have short, black hair throughout their lives. The chest is broad and the limbs are long (4), which aids in swinging from branch-to-branch, a form of locomotion known as ‘brachiation(5). The thumbs and big toes are also very long, and there is webbing between the digits of the hands and feet (4). There is a sac below the throat which is used to produce calls (5). The muzzle is relatively short, and the hair on the crown lies flat; in infants, however, this hair is erect (4).

Also known as
dwarf gibbon, Mentawai gibbon.
French
Siamang De Kloss.
Spanish
Siamang Enano.
Weight
6 kg (2)
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Kloss’s gibbon biology

Kloss’s gibbon is an arboreal species, spending most of its time in the canopy. They are active in the day (2) and get around by swinging from branch-to-branch, their long hands forming perfect hooks for grasping the branches (5). They live in groups, consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring, with social grooming helping to maintain bonds (5). These groups defend a territory, with loud bouts of singing serving to proclaim ownership (2). Neighboroughing males chorus before dawn and females after dawn with a 50 second great call (6). As young males and females reach sexual maturity they will leave the family group, with the aim of finding a mate and establishing a new group (5). These gibbons feed mainly on fruit, but will also take flowers and some invertebrates to supplement the diet (5).

Males and females form monogamous pairs. A single young is produced after a gestation period of seven to eight months. There is typically a gap of two to three years between each birth (2).

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Kloss’s gibbon range

Kloss's gibbon is found on North and South Pagi, Sipora and Siberut, islands in the Mentawai group, West Sumatra in Indonesia (2).

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Kloss’s gibbon habitat

Kloss's gibbon inhabits tropical rainforest (2) and monsoon forest (5).

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Kloss’s gibbon status

Kloss's gibbon is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1). Listed in Appendix I of CITES (3).

IUCN Red List species status – Endangered

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Kloss’s gibbon threats

The main threat facing these gibbons is habitat destruction and degradation caused by human activities in the area (1). Hunting is also a problem, which worsens as habitat destruction continues, as it allows greater access into the forest (2).

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Kloss’s gibbon conservation

Kloss’s gibbon is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which prohibits international trade in this species (3).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

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Find out more

For further information on gibbons:

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Authentication

Authenticated by Dr David J. Chivers, University of Cambridge.

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Glossary

Arboreal
Living in trees.
Brachiation
In some primates, a method of locomotion when the animal swings hand over hand from branch to branch.
Gestation
The state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth.
Invertebrates
Animals with no backbone, such as insects, crustaceans, worms, molluscs, spiders, cnidarians (jellyfish, corals, sea anemones), echinoderms, and others.
Monogamous
Mating with a single partner.
Territory
An area occupied and defended by an animal, a pair of animals or a colony.
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References

  1. IUCN Red List (April, 2011)
    http://www.redlist.org
  2. Animal Info (March, 2004)
    http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/hyloklos.htm
  3. CITES (March, 2004)
    http://www.cites.org
  4. Gibbon Conservation Centre (March, 2004)
    http://www.gibboncenter.org/hylobates.htm
  5. Primate Behaviour (March, 2004)
    http://members.tripod.com/uakari/hylobates_klossii.html
  6. Chivers, D.J. (2005) Pers. comm.

More »Related species

Agile gibbon (Hylobates agilis)Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch)White-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar)Bornean white-bearded gibbon (Hylobates albibarbis)Bornean gibbon (Hylobates muelleri)Pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus)Northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys)Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus)

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Kloss's gibbon  
Kloss's gibbon

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