Orangutan at home. Orangutan monkey. Orangutan lifestyle and habitat. Their last refuge

Orangutan- A great arboreal ape, the largest living arboreal ape. In Malay, "orangutan" means "forest man" or "wild man". There are two known living species of orangutans: the Kalimantan (Pongo pygmaeus) and the Sumatran (Pongo abelii) orangutans. They are also often called "orangutans", but this name is incorrect and is not used in zoology.
Squad: Primates
Family: Hominidae
General information
Males are up to 1.5 meters tall, females are about 1 meter tall. The weight of males ranges from 50 to 100 kilograms. Females - 30 - 50 kilograms. The Kalimantan orangutan is somewhat larger in size.
Females mature at 8-12 years, males at 14-15. Pregnancy lasts approximately 8.5 months, giving birth to 1 - 2 cubs weighing 1.5-2 kilograms. The cubs are fed with mother's milk for three to four years and live with her for about 6-8 years. In the wild they live for about 30 years, and in captivity - up to 65 years, which puts them in second place in terms of life expectancy among primates after humans.
Life of orangutans
Orangutans live in the tropical forests of Borneo and Sumatra, spending almost all their time in the trees. They move by brachiation, assisting themselves with their legs. The adaptation of orangutans to life in trees has reached the point that they even drink from leaves, hollows, etc. They move on the ground on all fours and spend the night in nests they weave in the trees. Not able to swim. The orangutan's arm span is about 2 meters.
Orangutans live alone and only the cubs live with their mothers, and sometimes there are groups of two females. The females, having met, behave calmly and even feed together, while the males stage a show of strength, each remaining within their own territory: they growl, break branches, etc. When none of them retreats, a fight occurs, during which one of the opponents, as a rule, retreats.
Orangutans are predominantly herbivorous; however, they do not disdain insects, honey, eggs, chicks, and Sumatran orangutans even hunt slow lorises.
Orangutans have a fairly developed language of communication among themselves: whining and sobbing in it can mean anger, displeasure, discomfort; loud squelching and grunting indicate threat; the fear-inducing piercing roar of the male (the so-called “long cry”) can communicate a territorial claim, or can serve to attract a female; the extraordinary sonority and expressiveness of this roar is imparted by the bag that orangutans have - a resonator, with a volume of several liters. At the same time, it was long believed that orangutans hardly make any sounds.

The metabolic rate of orangutans is about a third less than that calculated based on body weight and is comparable to that of sloths. Therefore, orangutans can go for several days without food at all. It is believed that this feature developed in orangutans due to their predominantly fruit diet.
Like humans, orangutans can be addicted to tobacco and alcohol. And, at least in the 19th century, they tried to use them as servants. These facts were even reflected in the book “The Mysterious Island” by the great science fiction writer of that century, Jules Verne.
Orangutans are considered the most intelligent animals after humans. When kept in captivity, they adopt many of the traits, modes of action and habits of the people around them.

In addition, orangutans are the closest living primates to humans, after chimpanzees and gorillas.
Saving
Outside of zoos may become extinct due to the destruction of their places of residence, since even despite the organization of national parks, illegal deforestation continues. The removal of cubs from their mother by poachers for subsequent sale also makes a contribution, during which the mother is usually killed, since she actively protects them.

The risk of extinction of the Sumatran orangutan is critical, the Kalimantan orangutan is in danger of extinction.

Interesting video about orangutan

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Every living creature has its own genetic code. We begin our life with him and we end with him. Using this code, you can determine and predict a lot because genetics is indeed a very powerful science.

Closest to people genetic code is monkey orangutan– an interesting, unusual and intelligent animal. Why orangutan, and not orangutan, How are we all used to pronouncing this word?

In fact, both names can be used, but it would be more correct to call this animal an orangutan. The thing is that orangutans are called “debtors” when translated into our language.

Orangutan in translation means “forest man,” which fully characterizes this amazing creature. And although it is customary to call it differently, it is still better to pronounce their name correctly. There are two types of orangutans - Bornean and Sumatran.

Habitat

More recently, these apes could be found in Southeast Asia. But these days there are none left there. Orangutan habitat limited only to Borneo and Sumatra.

Animals feel comfortable in the dense and humid tropical forests of Malaysia and Indonesia. Orangutans prefer to live alone. They are smart and attentive. All yours free time The animals spend their time in the trees, which is why they are commonly considered arboreal monkeys.

This lifestyle requires strong forelimbs, which indeed it is. Indeed, the forelimbs of orangutans are much larger and stronger, which cannot be said about the hind limbs.

To move between distant trees, orangutans do not need to descend to the ground. To do this, they use vines with great skill and enthusiasm, swinging on them like on ropes and thus moving from tree to tree.

They feel completely safe in the trees. They even try to look for water somewhere, so as not to go down to the ground - they collect it from leaves and even from their fur. If for some reason they have to walk on the ground, they do it with the help of all four limbs.

This is how they move at a young age. Older orangutans use only their lower limbs for walking, which is why at dusk they can sometimes be confused with the local population. These animals choose tree branches to sleep at night. Sometimes they have a desire to build something like a nest.

Appearance and behavior of an orangutan

to his appearance orangutans, although they are not the standard of beauty, evoke sympathy. There is something about this goon that makes you smile. They are difficult to confuse with any other animals.

If it stands upright, its height reaches 130-140 cm. Their average weight can be about 100 kg. Sometimes the mark on the scale reaches 180 kg. At the torso of orangutans square shape. Their main feature is strong and muscular limbs.

You can tell that this is an orangutan and not something else by the animal’s overly elongated forelimbs, which usually hang below their knees. The hind limbs, on the contrary, are too short.

In addition, they are crooked. The animal's feet and palms are quite large. Another distinctive feature is their thumb, which is opposed to all the others.

This structure helps the monkey well when moving through the trees. At the ends of the fingers there are nails that are very similar to human ones. The front part of the animal's head is very prominent with a convex skull.

The eyes sit close to each other. The nostrils don't stand out much. The facial expressions of orangutans are well developed, so they are big fans of making faces. The female orangutan is significantly different from her male. Its weight is usually no more than 50 kg.

A male can be identified not only by his large sizes, and also along a special cushion around their muzzle. It becomes even more expressive in adults. A beard and mustache are also added to it.

Male orangutan

The fur of young orangutans is a deep red color. The older they get, the more their fur takes on dark brown tones. It's long enough. Its length at the shoulders sometimes reaches 40 cm.

As for the behavior of orangutans, it differs significantly from all other primates. They behave quietly and silently, it is almost impossible to hear their voices in the forest.

These are calm and peace-loving creatures who have never been the instigators of fights, prefer to behave with imposingness and even choose a slow pace when moving. If I may say so, orangutans behave much more intelligently among all their other brothers.

They divide the territory into military areas, for which they do not have to wage aggressive wars with each other - somehow all this is resolved peacefully among orangutans. But this can only be said about females. Males zealously defend their territory, emitting loud cries and sometimes even getting into fights.

Due to their calm and peaceful nature, orangutans do not put up much resistance when captured. They are comfortable living in captivity, which is why this animal can most often be found in zoos. These monkeys are terribly afraid of water, even though they live in the jungle. They have absolutely no swimming ability; there have been cases when they drowned.

This is the most intelligent living creature after people. Being near people for a long time, orangutans can easily find them common language, adopt their habits.

In history there were even such anthropoid apes that comprehended sign language and communicated with people in this way. True, due to their modesty, they communicated in this way only with people they knew closely. For everyone else, they pretended that this was unfamiliar to them.

Orangutans can whine and cry, loudly smack and puff, males, when they need to attract a female, roar deafeningly and loudly. These animals are on the verge of extinction.

This is facilitated by the constant destruction of their habitat and poaching. baby orangutan. Moreover female orangutan at the same time she has to kill because she will never give her baby to anyone.

Orangutan nutrition

These animals cannot be called pure vegetarians. Yes, their main food is leaves, bark and fruits of trees. But it happens that orangutans allow themselves to feast on bird eggs and sometimes even chicks.

Some of them can hunt lorises, which are distinguished by their slowness. Monkeys love sweet honey and nuts. They are delighted with bananas, mangoes, plums, and figs.

They mainly get food from trees. The fact that orangutans are impressive in size does not mean at all that they are gluttonous. Orangutans eat little, sometimes long time go without food.

Reproduction and lifespan

At 10-12 years old, orangutans are ready to continue their kind. It is at this time that they choose a mate for themselves with special care. IN natural conditions sometimes for one strongest male there are several females with cubs.

The pregnant female enjoys special favor in this small group. In captivity, it was noticed that it is the very first one that is usually allowed to go to the feeder. The duration of pregnancy lasts half a month less than in humans - 8.5 months.

Childbirth proceeds quickly. After them, the female takes the baby in her arms, eats the spot, licks it, gnaws the umbilical cord and places it on her breast. The baby's weight is no more than 1.5 kg.

From birth until the age of 4, small orangutans feed on their mother's milk. Until about 2 years of age, they are almost completely inseparable from the female. Wherever she goes, she will take and carry her baby in her arms.

In general, there is always a very close connection between the mother and the little orangutan. The mother takes care of her baby's cleanliness by licking it frequently. The father does not take part at all in the process of the birth of an heir and his further upbringing. Everything that happens during the birth of the baby frightens the head of the family.

With an already grown-up baby, males to a greater extent play only solely on the initiative of the baby. If you observe families of orangutans, you can conclude that their lives are spent in a calm and measured environment, without screams or aggression. They live for about 50 years.

Orangutans are widely known for their red-brown fur. They are rightfully considered the largest arboreal mammals, spending most of their lives in trees. Orangutans have long and strong arms, with which they can easily move through thickets of trees. The legs of these animals act only as assistants to the arms, since they are relatively short and weak. The body length is 1.25-1.5 meters, the weight of the female is 30-50 kilograms, and the male - 50-90 kilograms.

Male orangutans are divided into flanged and unflanged. Flanged males have prominent cheek pads called flanges and a throat pouch designed to produce loud sounds. Unflanged male orangutans look like an adult female, but sometimes a unique biological phenomenon occurs where an unflanged male becomes flanged. The reasons for this transformation are not fully understood.

Due to the fact that the genotype of orangutans is 96.4% identical to humans, they are highly intelligent animals.

Orangutans live in primary and secondary forests. Despite the fact that they can be found at an altitude of 1.5 kilometers above sea level, most prefer lowlands and forests in river valleys or parts thereof. Orangutans move through trees and usually do not touch the ground, but when there is a need to descend, they move with clenched fists on four legs. To sleep at night and rest during the day, the animal needs to build a nest from vegetation.

Adults are mostly solitary, but sometimes they can be found in temporary groups. Large territories of males may overlap with the territories of several females. Males are not inclined to show their territoriality, but are often hostile towards other males.

As a rule, the female gives birth to one baby, but two can be born. Breastfeeding stops at the age of 3.5 years. Independence from the mother is gained with the appearance of new offspring. The female is ready to reproduce at the age of 10-15 years, the interval between pregnancies is at least 5 years, but can reach 10 years. Because it takes a long time to reach sexual maturity, one calf is born, and the period between pregnancies is long, the orangutan has low level reproductions. This fact makes the orangutan most vulnerable to high level mortality and requires more time for population recovery.

Translated from the Malay language, orangutan means “forest man”. Their diet includes wild fruits such as lychees, mangosteen and figs, as well as young leaves, insects, tree bark, etc. They drink water from holes in trees, leaves, or lick it from their fur after rain.

There are two types of orangutans - Sumatran and Bornean, named because of their habitats (the island of Sumatra and the island of Borneo). Their numbers have declined sharply over the last century, and growing anthropogenic pressure does not allow them to increase. Orangutans could be lost to the wild forever within the next few decades.

Both species of orangutans have shaggy red fur, but the Sumatran has longer fur on the face. The Sumatran species of orangutan has closer social ties than its relative the Bornean species. At the same time, the Bornean orangutan often descends from the trees to move on the ground.

Currently, orangutans can only be found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Both species experienced sharp declines in numbers. A hundred years ago there were about 230,000 individuals, but now in wildlife There are about 41,000 critically endangered Bornean orangutans left and 7,500 Sumatran orangutans, indicating the species is at risk of extinction.

Lowland forests, the habitat of orangutans in Asia, are in danger of extinction. They are cut down for timber or burned to make way for oil palm and other crops.

Orangutans are considered easy targets for poachers because they are massive and slow-moving. In some areas, these animals act as food or retribution for destroyed crops in agricultural areas. Their death is also associated with environmental stress and the inability to obtain vital food in the forest.

A significant threat to the population is the animal trade. As you know, in the process of transporting one orangutan to Taiwan (China), from 3 to 5 individuals lose their lives. Taiwan legislation for lately has reduced imports of orangutans, but trade remains a major problem in Indonesia, where the animals are still kept as pets. There is also a trade in orangutan skulls on the island of Borneo.

Orangutans are one of the world's most famous and popular species of great apes. Scientists consider them, along with gorillas and chimpanzees, to be among the animals closest to humans. Currently, only two species of these red monkeys are known - the Sumatran orangutan and the Bornean orangutan. In this article we will consider in detail only the first of them.

Orangutan or orangutan?

Some people believe that the pronunciation and spelling of the name of this monkey comes down entirely to one single option - “orangutan”. Even Microsoft "skips" this word, while the word "orangutan" is underlined in red. However, this spelling is erroneous.

The fact is that in the language of the population living in Kalimantan, “orangutan” is a debtor, and “orangutan” is a forest person, a forest dweller. That is why preference should be given to the second version of the name of this beast, even despite the fact that some text editors still “consider” its spelling to be incorrect.

Where does this monkey live?

The Sumatran orangutan, a photo of which you can see in our article, lives throughout the territory of Kalimantan. However, the vast majority of these monkeys are found in northern Sumatra. Their favorite habitats are tropical forests and the jungle.

Sumatran orangutan. Description of the species

It is believed that these have their African counterparts - gorillas. This may be true, but the ape-like features of orangutans are much more pronounced than those of gorillas. For example, the forelimbs of the red monkey are long, and the hind limbs are noticeably shorter than those of their African relatives. The hands and feet with long curved fingers in orangutans play the role of peculiar hooks.

With the help of its crooked fingers, the Sumatran orangutan easily clings to branches and picks tasty fruits, but we will talk about this a little later. Unfortunately, his limbs are not adapted for the most complex actions. As for the size of these monkeys, adult male orangutans are inferior in size to gorillas, and they weigh less. The Sumatran orangutan, whose weight does not exceed 135 kilograms, can reach a height of only 130 centimeters.

However, if you do not compare the size of orangutans with the size of gorillas, then these are quite impressive apes: their arms span is 2.5 meters, and their body is massive and dense, completely overgrown with red hair hanging in clumps. The Sumatran orangutan, whose head has a round face with swollen cheeks, turning into a funny “beard,” also makes peculiar sounds, which we will learn about later.

Why do Sumatran orangutans grunt?

Researchers observing the behavior and lifestyle of Sumatran orangutans noticed that these monkeys sigh constantly and heavily. Once, the famous zoologist and professor Nikolai Nikolaevich Drozdov, while studying these animals in one of his television programs, remarked: “He groans like an old man in pain. But he is not an old man, and he is not in pain. He is an orangutan."

It is curious that the throat sac of these animals swells like a ball, emitting squelching sounds, gradually turning into deep throaty moaning. These sounds cannot be confused with any others. You can hear them even a whole kilometer away!

Orangutan lifestyle

The average lifespan of these animals is about 30 years, the maximum is 60 years. These red-haired “old men” prefer to live alone. If you ever happen to meet a small group of Sumatran orangutans, then know that this is not a clan of monkeys, but just a female with her offspring. By the way, females, when meeting each other, try to disperse as quickly as possible, pretending that they do not see each other.

As for males, the situation here is, of course, more complicated. Each adult Sumatran orangutan has its own territory, in which several females live. The fact is that the males of these monkeys are polygamous creatures and prefer to have a whole harem at their disposal. The owner of the territory warns strangers who wander into his domain with loud shouts. If the alien is not going to leave, then a showdown begins.

This happens in a very unusual way. Both orangutans, as if on command, rush to the nearest trees and frantically begin to shake them. It resembles a real circus: trees shake, leaves fall from them, heart-rending screams are heard throughout the area. This performance continues for quite a long time until one of the opponents loses his nerve. Usually the losing male Sumatran orangutan vomits and gets pretty tired.

The main part of the life of red monkeys is spent exclusively in trees. They also sleep high above the ground, having previously arranged a comfortable bed for themselves. It is worth noting that the Sumatran orangutan is a rather peaceful animal. However, as we already know, this principle does not apply to their relatives: fights for territory between them occur on a constant basis.

What do these monkeys eat?

In principle, the Sumatran orangutan (photos of these monkeys usually evoke a lot of impressions) is a vegetarian. So they happily feast on mangoes, plums, bananas, and figs.

Thanks to their incredible strength and other physical characteristics, these monkeys quite dexterously climb the tallest tropical trees of the islands for their favorite delicacy - mangoes. If, for example, the upper branches of the trees are thin, an impressively sized red ape calmly sits in the middle of the crown, bending the branches towards itself. Unfortunately, this is detrimental to the trees themselves: the branches break and dry out.

Orangutans that live on the island gain weight quite quickly. And all because summer here is the most favorable time for red-haired “forest dwellers.” The abundance of variety allows monkeys not only to gain weight quickly, but also to store fat for the rainy season, when they will have to eat exclusively bark and leaves.

Orangutan population

As mentioned above, in nature there are two species of these monkeys: the Bornean and Sumatran orangutan. The number of these animals over the past 75 years, unfortunately, has decreased by 4 times. The main factors negatively affecting their population are:

• constant environmental pollution;
• illegal catching of young animals and their sale.

Moreover, animals are highly dependent on the state of the tropics in which they live. This is why widespread deforestation of the jungle, which is leading to the death of orangutans, should be stopped. Currently, there are only about 5 thousand of these monkeys left. If measures to protect them are not taken in time, they may disappear from the face of the Earth forever.

Orangutans live in southwestern Africa, in a rainy and hot climate. These shaggy animals move deftly through the trees.

Large male orangutans lose their former dexterity, the branches can hardly support their weight, so some adult individuals live on the ground.

Huge animals move on their hind legs. The word “orangutan” is translated into Russian as “forest man.”

What kind of environment do huge monkeys live in?

So where does the orangutan live? Monkeys, similar in appearance to humans, live exclusively in the tropics. There are two varieties of orangutans: Bornean and Sumatran.

The habitat of great apes is swampy areas with dense forests. Orangutans are not afraid of any obstacles: they easily overcome long distances between trees.

When moving along branches, animals usually use their forelimbs. The span of the orangutan's paws is simply amazing: it is approximately two meters.

The great apes orangutans are so accustomed to living in tree branches that they never go down to bodies of water. They draw water from leaves, an old hollow, or find it on their thick fur.

Young orangutans walk on the ground on all four legs. Adult monkeys prefer to walk on two legs, so they can be confused with people from local tribes.

Orangutans are unpretentious in everyday life: they go to sleep on tree branches. Some individuals make nests in the crowns of trees.

What do orangutans look like?

Photos of an orangutan can be found both on the World Wide Web and in numerous books about animals. Adults make a terrifying impression: they have a huge body with a slightly elongated skull. The orangutan's front paws reach the feet, and the monkey leans on them when walking on the ground.

The weight of an adult male varies from 80 to 100 kg, his height usually does not exceed 150 cm. Females weigh much less - about 45 kg. Monkeys have rather plump lips and their eyes are similar to humans.

Amazing abilities of great apes

The orangutan monkey is quite intelligent. Her brain is very different from the brains of other monkeys. Orangutans can use simple tools to get food, and they can perceive human speech.

Monkeys communicate with each other through various sounds. Male individuals rarely go beyond their territory.

If a chance meeting of two males occurs, the animals will begin to demonstrate their superiority: they break tree branches and intimidate the enemy with a loud cry.

Females get along well with each other, they can live in pairs and get food together.

Baby apes

Pregnancy in the great ape lasts 8.5 months. In most cases, only one baby orangutan is born. Some females give birth to two babies at once.

The weight of a newborn orangutan usually does not exceed two kilograms. At first, the babies firmly grasp the skin located on the mother’s chest, then they move onto her back.

The cubs feed on milk for quite a long time: at least two years. They usually stay with their mother until they reach the age of six, after which they separate from her and live independently.

The average lifespan of a female great ape is 50 years, during which time she usually manages to raise five babies.

Orangutans have virtually no enemies in the wild; they live in tree branches, so predators cannot reach them.

But due to massive deforestation of tropical forests, monkeys are deprived of their usual habitat.

Orangutans also suffer from poachers. The animals are highly prized on the black market, so cruel profit seekers have no qualms about killing the female and taking her cub.

Fortunately, there is also good people, who are not indifferent to the fate of great apes. Volunteers try to provide all possible assistance to the animals.

There was even a film made about the baby apes called “Orangutan Island”. The film tells about the relationship between animals and people.

Orangutan photo