Müller's gibbon (''Hylobates muelleri''),
also known as the southern grey gibbon, is a
primate
Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...
in the
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 forests from eastern Bangladesh and Northeast Indi ...
family,
Hylobatidae
Gibbons () are apes in the Family (biology), 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 forests from eastern Bangladesh an ...
.
Taxonomy
Formerly, the
western grey gibbon (''H. abbotti'') and
eastern grey gibbon (''H. funereus'') were considered conspecific with ''H. muelleri'', but more recent studies indicate that all three are distinct species, and both the
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...
and the
American Society of Mammalogists The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to encourage the study of mammal
A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence ...
consider them such.
Description
Unlike most gibbon species, Müller's gibbon does not show sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...
in its fur coloration. Its fur is grey- or brown-colored with a ring of bright fur around its face. On the head, it often has a darkly colored cap. Weighing between 4–8 kg, it ranks among the smaller of the gibbons.
Distribution and habitat
Müller's gibbon is endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to Kalimantan
Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...
in the island of Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
, inhabiting the southeastern part of the island. It is found approximately south of the Mahakam River and east of the Barito River
The Barito River is the second longest river in Borneo, Indonesia after the Kapuas River with a total length of and a drainage basin of over in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. It originates in the Müller Mountain Range, from where it flows ...
.[
]
Behaviour
Southern grey gibbons are diurnal rain forest dwellers, characterized by the long arms that all gibbons have, with which they brachiate through the trees. They live together in monogamous pairs, and defend their family territory against intruders with long, loud singing. Their diet consists primarily of fruits. Little is known about the reproductive patterns of this species, but it is thought to be similar to that of other gibbon species.
References
External links
Image of Grey gibbon
Gibbon Conservation Center
at ''Animal Diversity Web''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q845938
Mueller's gibbon
Primates of Indonesia
Endemic fauna of Borneo
Primates of Borneo
Mammals of Indonesia
Endangered fauna of Asia
Species that are or were threatened by the pet trade
Mueller's gibbon
Mueller's gibbon
Fauna of the Borneo lowland rain forests