New England Primate Conservancy
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.

Gibbons

The Gibbon family is divided up into 4 genera,
​and at least 18 species and 184 subspecies
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Crested Gibbons
Genus: Nomascus

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Black Crested Gibbon (Nomascus concolor)

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
​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...
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Hainan Gibbon (Nomascus hainanus)

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
With a total population of only 30 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, until 2019, the species was restricted to just 0.77 sq mi (2 sq km), as reported...
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Photo source: Luc Borne
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Northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys)

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
​The northern white-cheeked gibbon is today found only in northwestern Vietnam and northern Laos. A small population was recorded in southern China as recently as the 1980s, but more recent surveys have failed to find any trace of them in the area; they...
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Southern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus siki)

CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
​Southern white-cheeked gibbons are primarily found in southern Laos and north-central Vietnam, east of the Mekong River. There is an overlap between the ranges of southern white-cheeked gibbons and northern white-cheeked gibbons. They prefer lowland...
​LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUTHERN WHITE-CHEEKED GIBBONS >

Photo credit: F.Spangenberg/Creative Commons
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Yellow-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae)

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
​The yellow-cheeked gibbon is known by many names, including the gold-, red- or buff-cheeked gibbon. They live in the tropical jungles of southern Lao People's Democratic Republic, southern Vietnam, and southeastern parts of the Kingdom of Cambodia...
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Dwarf Gibbons
Genus: Hylobates

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Agile Gibbon (Hylobates agilis)

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
The agile gibbon, also called the black-handed gibbon, lives in Southeast Asia—notably the countries of Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This region offers tropical rainforests, the preferred habitat of these monkeys, where they take to the upper canopy and live...
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Bornean Gibbon (Hylobates muelleri)

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
The Bornean gibbon, also known as the grey gibbon or Müller's gibbon, is endemic to the island of Borneo, which is split between the nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. They occur throughout most of the island, except for the southwest region...
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Pileated Gibbon (Hylobates pileatus)

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Also known as the capped or crowned gibbon, pileated gibbons are found throughout Southeast Asia, in countries that include Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand, and Vietnam. They live in tropical deciduous monsoon...
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Silvery Gibbon (Hylobates moloch)

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
The silvery gibbon, also known as the Javan gibbon, is very rare and endangered. The species is confined to 29 fragmented forested areas in western and central Java. The largest populations are found in the lowland and lower montane rainforest in the west...
​LEARN MORE ABOUT SILVERY GIBBONS >
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White-Handed Gibbon (Hylobates lar)

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
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. They make their homes in the countries of Indonesia...
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Hoolock Gibbons
Genus: Hoolock

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Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock)

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Western Hoolock gibbons, also known as white-browed gibbons, are the only apes that live in the Indian sub-continent. They thrive in the dense forests that extend from east of the Brahmaputra River in northeast India, through Bangladesh, and into western...
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Siamang
Genus: Symphalangus

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Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus)

CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
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...
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  • Primate Conservation
    • Primate Conservation
    • Primate Facts
    • Conservationist Limelight
    • Primates in Animal Studies
  • Education
    • What is Humane Education?
    • The Case of the Disappearing Habitat: The Candy Culprit-Get Started! >
      • Step 1: You're On the Case
      • Step 2: You Get a Clue
      • Step 3: The Investigation
      • Step 4: The Candy Boss
      • Step 5: The Case Isn't Closed Yet
      • Good Detective Strategies and Helpful Hints
    • Cyber Flashcards >
      • 10 of the most well known primate species
      • 10 of the weirdest primate species
      • 10 primate species you probably never heard of
      • 10 of the most endangered primates species
    • The Alphabet Soup of Conservation-Video and Introduction >
      • Alphabet Soup Activities
    • Your Evolutionary Family Tree-Start here >
      • Step 1: Observation
      • Step 2: Questions
      • Step 3: Background Research
      • Step 4: Hypothesis
      • Step 5: Experiment
      • Step 6: Analyze Data
      • Step 7: Conclusions
      • Step 8: Publish
      • Lab Notebook
    • Where Primates Live
    • Primates and Their Habitats Introduction >
      • Game 1: Monkey Match Up
      • Game 2: Concentration
      • Game 3: One Handed Solitaire
      • Game 4: Go Fish With a Twist
      • Activity 5: Whos in the Cards
    • Life in Tropical Rainforests Introduction >
      • Activity 1: Rainforest Matching Game
      • Activity 2: Living Between the Layers
      • Activity 3: Where in the World
      • Activity 4: Finding Fun Rainforest Facts
      • Activity 5: You Can Help Rainforests
  • Primates At-a-Glance
    • African Apes At-a-Glance
    • African Monkeys At-a-Glance
    • African Prosimians At-a-Glance
    • Asian Apes At-a-Glance
    • Asian Monkeys At-a-Glance
    • Asian Prosimians At-a-Glance
    • Latin American Monkeys At-a-Glance
  • Primate Profiles
    • Apes of Africa >
      • Bonobos
      • Chimpanzees
      • Gorillas
    • Apes of Asia >
      • Orangutans
      • Gibbons
    • Monkeys of Africa >
      • Allenopithecus
      • Baboons
      • Colobus Monkeys
      • Geladas
      • Grivets, Tantalus, Malbroucks, and Vervets
      • Guenons
      • Kipunjis
      • African Macaque
      • Mandrills
      • Mangabeys
      • Patas Monkeys
    • Monkeys of Asia >
      • Langurs, Leaf Monkeys, Lutungs, Surilis
      • Macaques
      • Proboscis Monkeys
      • Snub-Nosed Monkeys
    • Monkeys of Latin America >
      • Capuchin Monkeys
      • Howler Monkeys
      • Marmosets
      • Muriquis
      • Night or Owl Monkeys
      • Saki Monkeys
      • Spider Monkeys
      • Squirrel Monkeys
      • Tamarins
      • Titi Monkeys
      • Uakaris
      • Woolly Monkeys
    • Prosimians of Africa >
      • Galagos or Bushbabies
      • Lemurs
      • Pottos
    • Prosimians of Asia >
      • Lorises
      • Tarsiers
    • Glossary
  • How To Help Wildlife
    • What You Can Do
    • Personal Choices
    • Using media
    • In Your Community
  • About
    • What We Do
    • Education Team
    • Board of Directors
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
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  • Donate Today