ORANGUTANS

orangutans -

Orangutans
Orangutans Order: Primates
Orangutans Family: Pongidae
Orangutans Genus and Species: Pongo pygmaeus (Bornean) and Pongo abelii (Sumatran)
The world's largest tree-dwelling animal, the orangutans relies upon its intelligence and well-adapted body to survive in the tropical rainforest.

Physical Description of orangutans
These orangish-red-haired great apes have long arms and curved hands and feet, which they put to good use when traversing the treetops. Older orangutans usually move through the trees on all fours, while young ones often brachiate, or swing hand over hand. Orangutans males have longer hair than females and disc-like cheek pads.

Both sexes of orangutans have throat pouches that make their calls resonate through the forest. The orangutan males pouches are more developed. Orangutans crush tough foliage and hard-shelled nuts with their strong teeth and jaws. Two species exist: P. pygmaeus of Borneo, and the Orangutan Sumatran species, P. abelii. Outside of their native ranges, they can be differentiated only through chromosomal or DNA analysis.

Size
Orangutan are Asia's largest primates. Orangutans males are about twice the size of females, standing four and a half feet tall and weighing 130 to 200 pounds. Orangutans females stand about two and a half feet tall and weigh 90 to 110 pounds. Zoo animals are often heavier.


Geographic Distribution of orangutans
Once more widely distributed, orangutans now live only in forests on the Southeast Asian islands of Sumatra and Borneo

Is important to us to saving the live of orangutans