Siamang | |
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Genus: | Symphalangus Gloger, 1841 |
Species: | S. syndactylus |
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Symphalangus syndactylus (Raffles, 1821) |
The Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) is a tailless, black furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra. It lives in trees, that's why it is called arboreal. The Siamang is the largest of the lesser apes. It can grow to be twice the size of other gibbons. Siamangs grow to about 1 m in height, and weigh up to 23 kg. The Siamang is the only species in the genus Symphalangus.
The Siamang is different form other gibbons. In Siamangs, two fingers on each hand are fused together, that's where the name "syndactylus" is from. Siamangs have large "gular sacs". These can be found in both males and females. The gular sac is a throat pouch that can be inflated to the size of its head. This allows the Siamang to make loud resonating calls or songs.