Published December 26, 2022 | Animal Knowledge, Animals, Conservation, Wildlife

Do you know Indonesian have an endemic primate without tail ? Now we will find out
more about The Silvery Gibbon.

Silvery Gibbon the endemic primate from Indonesia

javan gibbon

The Silvery Gibbon (Hylobates Moloch) also known as the Javan Gibbon. It is endemic to the Indonesian island of java. The characteristic of this primate is that it has no tail, has a slender body and has arms that are longer than its body. Its hands are used to swing and move from one tree to another. Its coat is bluish-gray in color, with a dark gray or black cap. It has long curved fingers and very long forelimbs relative to its hind limbs.

How is their life in forest ?

Silvery gibbons swing from branch to branch to move around the forest. It is primate can walk on the ground when necessary, walking on two legs with their arms held above their heads balance. Silvery gibbon are frugivorous, and eat ripe fruits from the tropical rainforest.

They are diurnal animals, and are highly territorial, defending their territiroies with “singing.” Each morning, the female will announce to the forest her presence by calling and shrieking, often being heard as far as a kilometer away. When two silvery gibbons find each other, they stay together for life. The resulting monogamous family group consists of the adult male and female with their young. The female gives birth to a single infant about every three years, after a gestation period of seven months. Juvenile silvery gibbons attain sexual maturity at the age of about eight, at which time they must leave the group to start a new family.

According to the IUCN Red List, the total number of silvery gibbon is fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. Their population numbers are decreasing, being classified as endangered (EN) on the list of threatened species. There are less than 2,000 silvery gibbons in the wild on eight sites that are considered to be genetically viable for the continuation of the species.

Let’s get closer with the wildlife in Bali Safari Park