Although primates are generally fond of trees, not all apes prefer staying up on a tree. Among apes, the largest tree-climbing mammal is the orang-utan. A male orang-utan grows to 1.4 metres tall, and weighs about 75 kilograms. A female ape weighs around 37 kilograms only. An orang-utan’s arms are strong and powerful. Its hands can grow longer than their legs, and can reach 2 metres in length! Therefore, when an orang-utan stands upright, its hands touch the ankles of its feet.
Two different types of orang-utans are generally identified: flanged and unflanged. Flanged male orang-utans have prominent cheek pads and throat sacs. These animals can make loud verbalizations called ‘long calls’, using the throat coat of dark hair on their back.
Orang-utans are facing a bleak future as their forest habitats in Indonesia and Malaysia are rapidly disappearing due to human intervention.
Picture Credit : Google
