Animalia | Primates | Hylobatidae | Hoolock | Hoolock hoolock |


- Common Name: Western Hoolock Gibbon
- Taxonomy Classification Year: 1834
- Monkey Size: 60 to 90 cm (23.62 to 35.43 in)
- Skin Color(s): Black or dark brown
- Habitat: Forest, rainforest, scrub forest
- Diet: Omnivorous
- Native Countries: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, China

Western Hoolock Gibbon Distribution

Western Hoolock Gibbon Characteristics

The Western Hoolock gibbons[1] are three species of primates in the Hoolock genus of the gibbon family, Hylobatidae, endemic to Myanmar, eastern Bangladesh, northeastern India, and southwestern China.
- Hoolock gibbons are the second largest gibbon after the siamangs. They weigh between 6 and 8 kg.
- Hoolock gibbons are characterized by longer hair, curved white eyebrow bands, and a slightly triangular head.
- This species is bicolor: adult males are entirely black, while adult females are dark brown with black on the neck, chest, and face. In some subpopulations, males have more pronounced eyebrows than in others.
- Males may also have a white foreskin tuft and may show white on the chin and cheeks. Some females have lighter fur on their hands and feet.
- Hoolock gibbon is unique among gibbon species in having only 38 chromosomes compared to 44 for other members of its subgenus.

Western Hoolock Gibbon Facts

- Like other gibbons, Western Hoolock gibbons are diurnal and arboreal, gliding through trees with their long arms.
- The pair, with its offspring (usually one or two), inhabit a stable and heavily defended territory.
- Sometimes solitary adults, usually subadults recently expelled from their family group, establish solitary territories.
- Their calls are used to locate family members and keep other gibbons out of their territory.
- Unlike other gibbon species, male and female hoolock gibbon vocalizations are the same and relatively simple.

Suggested Reading: Family of Apes
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BioExplorer.net. (2023, April 01). Western Hoolock Gibbon. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/apes/western-hoolock-gibbon/.
BioExplorer.net. "Western Hoolock Gibbon" Bio Explorer, 01 April 2023, https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/apes/western-hoolock-gibbon/.
BioExplorer.net. "Western Hoolock Gibbon" Bio Explorer, April 01 2023. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/apes/western-hoolock-gibbon/.