Orangutan

ORANGUTANS

HabitatOrangutans are currently found in only the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. They spend most of their time in trees.

EnemiesMain enemies of orangutans are tigers.Other predators include clouded leopards, wild dogs and crocodiles.

Scientific NameThe scientific names for Orangutans are Pongo abelii or Pongo pygmaeus (depending on where they live). The name Orangutan comes from the Malayasian and Indonesian words 'orang' meaning person and 'hutan' meaning forest, so it means person of the forest.

Diet Most of Orangutans diets consist of fruit and leaves gathered from rain forest trees. They also eat bark, insects and, on rare occasions, meat. Fruit is the most important component of an orangutan's diet, however, the apes will also eat vegetation, honey, and even bird eggs.

Something SpecialOrangutans make umbrellas for themselves out of big leaves when it rains and use sticks to get honey from beehives. They also love to eat soap, which surprisingly does not upset their stomach, and will lather their arms before eating the frothy treat.One other thing they will do is poke twigs into holes to catch insects, chew up leaves and use them as sponges and use branches and sticks to test the depth of water before entering it.

LocomotionOrangutans usually move by swinging from one branch to another; this is called brachiating. They slowly walk, swing and climb through dense rain forests. Orangutans can also walk using their legs (but rarely do). They do not swim.

AppearanceOrangutans are large and have a bulky body and a thick neck. Their arms are long and strong and their legs are short and bowed. They have no tail. Their standing height is, 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5m). They weigh 73 to 180 pounds (33 to 82 kg). Male orangutans grow a beard and moustache when they become adults, some male orangutans also grow cheek pads and throat pouches. They are mammals.

Defense/OffenseWhen threatened, Orangutans intimidate by making loud roars followed by grunting noises, sometimes branch breaking at the same time. Male Orangutans can also make their face appear larger.

BehaviourOrangutans are diurnal animals meaning they are only active during the day. Orangutans of various ages have different calls for different reasons. For example adult orangutans have an alarm call that sounds like a kiss. Also interesting is that depending on where they live, Orangutans have different cultures just as humans do.

Special Survival Status Orangutans have survived as long as 60 years in captivity. They are known as long-lived animals. Sadly, they are in threat of extinction due to deforestation and other human activities, such as hunting, which have placed the orangutan in danger.