Found in rainforests from highlands to
low-level swamps.
Natural Diet:
Tropical fruits, seeds, nuts, leaves,
and figs. Occasionally they will eat insects, bird eggs, and tree bark.
Zoo Diet:
Consists of fruits, vegetables,
sunflower seeds, oatmeal, and primate biscuits.
Physical
Characteristics:
Orangutans have large heavy bodies,
similar to that of a great ape, covered with a thin shaggy coat that is
reddish brown in color. The male may grow to 4.5 feet tall and up to 200
lbs. Females are smaller at 3.5 feet and approximately 100 lbs.
These primates are built to move in trees with long and powerful arms
and extremely long toes. They usually use all four limbs to
distribute their weight, but can stand and walk on two legs if they want
to.
Behavior:
Orangs spend most of their time alone,
except for females with their young. They are active during the day and
are almost exclusively arboreal. Orangutans have a vocal repertoire of
13 sounds. Within a small social group, they communicate by lip
smacking. They have excellent eyesight and can see in color.
Reproduction:
Females begin to bear young at the age
of 8 to 10, and have a gestation period of about 260 to 270 days. The
offspring is born weighing about 3.5 lbs., and lives beside its mother
until it is about 6 to 8 years old.
Notes:
The orangutan has been declining in both
range and numbers for many years. It is now in danger of becoming
extinct. It is estimated that fewer than 10,000 remain worldwide.
Click the play button to see how zoo keepers train the orangutans. Thanks to
Ball State University zoology students for production of the video. Note:
This video is silent.
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