Virtual Flash cards

10 OF THE MOST ENDANGERED PRIMATE SPECIES

It's disheartening to note how difficult it is to select just 10 of the most endangered primate species.
​Sadly, too many are teetering on the brink of extinction.

#1

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Photo credit: Luc Borne
what is thIS PRIMATE'S common name?
HAINAN GIBBON
also known as the Hainan black-crested gibbon
What is the scientific name?
Nomascus hainanus
​WHAT KIND OF PRIMATE IS THIS?
APE
Where do they live?
The Hainan gibbon species is restricted to just 0.8 sq mi (2 sq km) within the Bawangling National Nature Reserve on the western side of Hainan Island in the South China Sea. 95% of their original habitat of lowland, tropical primary forest has been destroyed. Today, these enigmatic primates occupy only a small patch of remnant rainforest, which continues to shrink. With the continued destruction of lowland forest, where trees are 32.8 ft (10 m) or taller, Hainan gibbons have been forced to take up residence in less-suitable mountainous forest, where elevations range from 328 to 5,905 ft (100-1800 m).
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Asia
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Where Hainan Gibbons live. The red dot is barely perceptible. Map: Chermundy & IUCN/Creative Commons
New world or old world?
OLD WORLD
fascinating facts
  • Hainan gibbons are the world's rarest apes and one of the world's rarest mammals
  • Total population: 25-28
  • 95% of their primary habitat has been destroyed
  • Hainan gibbons use song to communicate with one another. Each day, usually beginning at dawn, male and female Hainan gibbon pairs engage in a duet known as a “morning call.” They also engage in song duets for bonding and mating.
  • The song notes of Hainan gibbon duets are specific enough to deter interbreeding with the other six “singing” gibbon species who share the Nomascus genus.
What threatens their future?
Developing rubber and commercial logging industries, the construction of roads, a human population boom (between 1950 and 2003), and a subsequent increase in human settlements have all contributed to wiping out the Hainan gibbon’s original lowland rainforest habitat. This willful destruction of habitat has also resulted in a split of gibbon populations, isolating them from one another and hindering successful reproduction in the species. A significant decline in genetic diversity also jeopardizes the species’ viability. 

Historically, Hainan gibbons have been hunted and killed, and their bones were then traded on the black market to be used in “traditional medicines”—none of which have been proven valid. These rare apes have also been killed for their meat.
The low income of Hainan citizens has fueled the illegal pet trade. Mother gibbons are shot and killed and their babies are stolen. Alternatively, if a young mother is the intended kidnap victim, her baby is left to die.​
​WHAT IS their CONSERVATION STATUS?
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
What Does this Conservation Status mean?
Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Any species categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable is considered by conservation scientists to be a threatened species
​HERE'S A SNAPSHOT AND THE SPECIES' PROFILE
Click or tap on the graphic to enlarge it
​LEARN MORE ABOUT Hainan Gibbons
Go to the Hainan gibbon Primate Species Profiles page
are Hainan Gibbons good pets?
NO
  1. Hainan gibbons are wild animals. Their diet and environmental needs cannot be adequately met or replicated in human living conditions. 
  2. To become pets, baby primates are stolen from their mothers. As a result, they do not develop normally emotionally.
  3. When taken from the wild, their mothers are killed to capture the baby.
  4. Primates are never domesticated. They always remain wild. 
  5. Caged primates are very unhappy and frustrated. They are likely to resist confinement. They are quick and cause damaging bites and scratches. Some die as a result of their captivity.
  6. Many locations have strict regulations that prohibit trading in or keeping primates and endangered species are pets.
  7. Hainan gibbons belong with other gibbons in the China's lowland rainforests. They and their habitats must be protected, not exploited.
#PrimatesAreNotPets
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​Common names are not officially defined. They are based on everyday conversational language and may differ by country, region, profession, community, or other factors. As a result, it is not unusual for a species to have multiple common names.

Scientific names, on the other hand, are standardized and constant. They are Latinized and rule-bound by a formal naming system called binominal nomenclature. Scientific names prevent misidentification. They typically only change if a species is officially redesignated.
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The biological order of Primates is divided into these classifications:​
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​​New World monkeys are native to Central and South America.

Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia.
Learn about the differences between New World monkeys and Old World monkeys
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  • ​Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity.
  • Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
  • Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
  • Least Concern (LC) – Widespread and abundant.
  • Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to assess the species' risk of extinction.
  • Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated.
Learn more about ​Conservation Statuses
Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2019. You may freely use and share these learning activities for educational purposes. 
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