The

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Hylobates'' is one of the four genera of

gibbon Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical rainforest from eastern Bangladesh to Northeast India ...

s. Its name means "forest walker", from the Greek (, "forest") and (, "one who treads"). It was once considered the only genus, but recently its subgenera (''

Hoolock The hoolock gibbons are three primate species of genus ''Hoolock'' in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae, native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India, Myanmar, and Southwest China. Description Hoolocks are the second-largest of the gibbons, after ...

'' ormerly ''Bunopithecus'' ''

Nomascus ''Nomascus'' is the second-most speciose genus of gibbons (family Hylobatidae). Originally, this genus was a subgenus of ''Hylobates'', and all individuals were considered one species, ''Hylobates concolor''. Species within ''Nomascus'' are cha ...

'', and ''

Symphalangus The siamang (, ; ''Symphalangus syndactylus'') is an arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The largest of the gibbons, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching in height, a ...

'') have been elevated to the genus level. ''Hylobates'' remains the most species-rich and widespread of gibbon genera, ranging from southern China (

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

) to western and central

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

. Individuals within this genus are characterized by 44 chromosomes and often have a ring of white fur around their faces.

Classification

* Family

Hylobatidae Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical rainforest from eastern Bangladesh to Northeast India ...

: gibbons ** Genus ''Hylobates'' ***

Lar gibbon The lar gibbon (''Hylobates lar''), also known as the white-handed gibbon, is an endangered primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. It is one of the better-known gibbons and is often kept in captivity. Taxonomy There are five subspecies of ...

or white-handed gibbon, ''Hylobates lar'' **** Malaysian lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar lar'' ****

Carpenter's lar gibbon Carpenter's lar gibbon (''Hylobates lar carpenteri'') is an endangered subspecies of white-handed gibbon, also known as the lar gibbon. It is listed as an endangered species because it is believed to have undergone a decline of more than 50% in t ...

, ''Hylobates lar carpenteri'' ****

Central lar gibbon The central lar gibbon (''Hylobates lar entelloides'') is is an subspecies of white-handed or lar gibbon that is vulnerable to extinction. It is endemic to Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () ...

, ''Hylobates lar entelloides'' ****

Sumatran lar gibbon The Sumatran lar gibbon (''Hylobates lar vestitus''), also known as the Sumatran white-handed gibbon, is a subspecies of the lar gibbon, a primate in the gibbon family Hylobatidae. It is native to the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It shares the t ...

, ''Hylobates lar vestitus'' ****

Yunnan lar gibbon The Yunnan lar gibbon (''Hylobates lar yunnanensis''), also known as the Yunnan white-handed gibbon, is a subspecies of the lar gibbon, a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. This Chinese subspecies is thought to be extinct.Grueter et al. ( ...

, ''Hylobates lar yunnanensis'' ***

Bornean white-bearded gibbon The Bornean white-bearded gibbon (''Hylobates albibarbis''), also known as the Bornean agile gibbon or southern gibbon, is a species of gibbon endemic to southern Borneo. It is an endangered species, due to the undergoing logging of the tropical ...

, ''Hylobates albibarbis'' ***

Agile gibbon The agile gibbon (''Hylobates agilis''), also known as the black-handed gibbon, is an Old World primate in the gibbon family. It is found in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra, Malaysia, and southern Thailand. The species is listed as endangere ...

or black-handed gibbon, ''Hylobates agilis'' ***

Western grey gibbon The western grey gibbon (''Hylobates abbotti''), also known as Abbot's grey gibbon, is a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. It was named after zoologist William Louis Abbott. Taxonomy Formerly, the western grey gibbon and northern grey ...

or Abbott's grey gibbon, ''Hylobates abbotti'' ***

Eastern grey gibbon The eastern grey gibbon or northern grey gibbon (''Hylobates funereus'') is a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. Taxonomy Formerly, the eastern grey gibbon and western grey gibbon (''H. abbotti'') were considered conspecific with the ...

or northern grey gibbon, ''Hylobates funereus'' ***

Müller's gibbon Müller's gibbon (''Hylobates muelleri''), also known as the southern grey gibbon, is a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. Taxonomy Formerly, the western grey gibbon (''H. abbotti'') and eastern grey gibbon (''H. funereus'') were consi ...

or southern grey gibbon, ''Hylobates muelleri'' ***

Silvery gibbon The silvery gibbon (''Hylobates moloch''), also known as the Javan gibbon, is a primate in the gibbon family Hylobatidae. It is endemic to the Indonesian island of Java, where it inhabits undisturbed rainforests up to an altitude of . It is liste ...

, ''Hylobates moloch'' **** Western silvery gibbon or western Javan gibbon, ''Hylobates moloch moloch'' **** Eastern silvery gibbon or central Javan gibbon, ''Hylobates moloch pongoalsoni'' ***

Pileated gibbon The pileated gibbon (''Hylobates pileatus'') is a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. The pileated gibbon has sexual dimorphism in fur coloration: males have a purely black fur, while the females have a white-grey colored fur with only th ...

or capped gibbon, ''Hylobates pileatus'' ***

Kloss's gibbon Kloss's gibbon (''Hylobates klossii''), also known as the Mentawai gibbon, the bilou or dwarf siamang, is an endangered primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. It is identifiable in that it is all black, resembling the siamang with its blac ...

or Mentawai gibbon, bilou or dwarf siamang, ''Hylobates klossii'' ** Genus ''

'' ** Genus ''

Hybrids

Hybrids between

(''H. muelleri'') and the

, (''H. albibarbis'') have been reported in areas of

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

References

External links

Primate Info Net ''Hylobates'' Factsheets
{{Authority control Gibbons Mammals of Southeast Asia Primate genera Taxa named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger Taxa described in 1811 cs:Gibon