Symphalangus Syndactylus
Siamangs live in small families composed of a mated pair and their young. Two babies have been born here at the El Paso Zoo since 2007.
Siamangs are territorial and defend their territory with daily calls or bark-like vocalizations. When they vocalize they prodice different sounds using their throat sac. After their morning ceremonial vocalization they begin walking and climbing around their exhibit.
Fun Facts
- Unlike larger apes like chimpanzees or gorillas, Siamangs walk with their hands held over their head.
- Our siamang family’s vocalizations are so loud they can be heard from the African area found across the zoo!
- Our youngest of the siamang family was not born here, but brought in from another facility. She was taken in by her surrogate mother and made to be a welcome addition the family.
- Siamangs are slightly larger than other gibbons at 29 to 35 inches (74 to 89 centimeters) tall and weighing about 23 pounds (10 kilograms).
Classification
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hylobatidae
Genus: Symphalangus
Species: S. Syndactylus
Habitat
Siamangs live in the mountains of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra in rainforests and monsoon forests. They have relatively small ranges, about 60 acres (0.24 square kilometers). They seem to travel about half as much daily, which may be because they consume a greater percentage of a more common food, leaves.