Apes

The exact numbers of species and subspecies are a bit fluid as the advent of DNA analysis provides deeper insights into taxonomic classifications.
In addition, technology is facilitating the discovery of previously unstudied species while, sadly, other species become extinct.

Great Apes
The Great Ape family, Hominidae, includes:
  • Bonobos (genus Pan)
  • Chimpanzees (genus Pan) and 4 subspecies,
  • 2 species of Gorillas (genus Gorilla) and 4 subspecies, 
  • 3 species of Orangutans (genus Pongo) and 3 subspecies,
  • ​1 species of Humans (genus Homo) in a single subspecies with multiple geographic populations​​​

Bonobo (Pan paniscus)

The peaceable bonobo species makes its home in the lush rainforests of central Africa, specifically within the borders of one conflict-ridden country—the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A highly threatened great ape, the bonobo is confined to a limited area...
Learn more about Bonobos >
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Common Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes)

Common chimpanzees can be found throughout western and Central Africa, along the equator. Their range includes the countries of Sierra Leone, Angola, Tanzania, and Congo where they make their homes in a variety of habitats...
Learn more about Chimpanzees >
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Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli)

Cross River gorillas are the rarest of all great apes and were unknown to scientists until the early 20th century. They were forgotten, then “rediscovered” after scientists had believed the gorillas had become extinct...
Learn more about Cross River Gorillas >​
Photo: Julie Langford on behalf of Limbe Wildlife Centre, Cameroon
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Grauer's Gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri)

Grauer’s gorilla, formerly known as the Eastern lowland gorilla, is found only in the lowland tropical rainforests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. One of two subspecies of the Eastern gorilla, Grauer’s gorilla is our earth’s largest primate...
Learn more about Grauer's Gorillas >
Photo credit: Joe McKenna/Creatove Commons
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Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)

​More than half the population of our world’s mountain gorillas resides high in the lush, dense “cloud forests” of the Virunga Mountains, a dormant volcanic range in central Africa that spans the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
Learn more about Mountain Gorillas >
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Western Lowland Gorilla (​Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

The western lowland gorilla is one of two subspecies of western gorilla and is the most widespread of all gorillas, inhabiting the dense and remote tropical rainforests of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea...
​Learn more about Western Lowland Gorillas >
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Bornean Orangutan ​(Pongo pygmaeus)

​The Bornean orangutan is one of only three species of orangutans; each is classified as a great ape and together they are the only great apes native to Asia. Inhabiting the equatorial island of Borneo... 
Learn more about Bornean Orangutans >
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Sumatran Orangutan (​Pongo abelii)

Orangutans are the only great apes found in Asia - specifically on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Originally thought to be one species, two distinct species were recognized in 1996 – Pongo Abelii in Sumatra and Pongo Pygmaeus in Borneo. A third species, the Tapanuli...
Learn more about Sumatran Orangutans >
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Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis)

2017 will be remembered as the year that shook the world of primatology, when scientists announced the amazing identification of a new and third species of orangutan – the Tapanuli orangutan. It had been observed for the first time in 1939 and again in 1997, but...
Learn more about Tapanuli Orangutan >
Photo Credit: Tim Laman/Creative Commons​
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Lesser Apes

Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae. 
Also called the smaller apes or lesser apes, gibbons are smaller than great apes, are tailless, and do not make nests.
Gibbons occur in tropical and subtropical rainforests from eastern Bangladesh and northeast India to southern China and Indonesia.
The Gibbon family is divided up into 4 genera, and at least 18 species and 184 subspecies

Black Crested Gibbon (Nomascus concolor)

​The black-crested gibbon has lost 75% of his habitat to hunting and human encroachment, giving this small ape the unfortunate status of being one of the world’s most endangered primates. Today, the black-crested gibbon survives in remote, largely inaccessible...
Learn more about Black Crested Gibbons >
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Hainan Gibbon (Nomascus hainanus)

With a total population of only 25 to 28 individuals, the Hainan gibbon is the world’s rarest ape and one of the world’s rarest mammals. Also known as the Hainan black-crested gibbon, the species is restricted to just 0.77 sq mi (2 sq km), as reported in 2017, within the...
Learn more about Hainan Gibbons >
Photo source: Luc Borne
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Pileated Gibbon (Hylobates pileatus)

Also known as the capped or crowned gibbon, pileated gibbons are found throughout southeast Asia, in countries like Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand and Vietnam. Their habitats include tropical deciduous monsoon forests, dense...
Learn more about Pileated Gibbons >
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Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus)

The siamang is found in the mountain and lowland forests on Sumatra (the westernmost island of Indonesia), Malaysia, and small parts of Thailand. Despite being the largest of the "lesser apes", siamang families cover only about 50 to 60 acres of territory...
​Learn more about Siamangs >
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White-Handed Gibbon (Hylobates lar)

White-handed gibbons, also known as Lar gibbons, live in the tropical rainforests of southern and Southeast Asia. Of all the gibbon species, white-handed gibbons inhabit the greatest north-south range...
 Learn more about White-Handed Gibbons > 
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