Siamang: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Great Apes and Leaf Monkeys · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. The siamang is the biggest gibbon of all. It can be double the size of its cousins and stand up to 1 m tall.
2. Males and females both have a throat pouch that can blow up as big as their head, making their calls boom through the forest.
3. On each foot, its second and third toes are partly joined by skin. Its scientific name, syndactylus, means joined fingers.
4. Couples sing loud duets of booms, barks and screams to tell neighbours they own the patch. New couples sing more than old ones.
5. Siamang dads are hands-on. Once a baby is about 8 months old, the father does much of the carrying, more than in other gibbons.

The quiz

1. How does the siamang compare with other gibbons?

• It is the smallest gibbon
• It is the only white gibbon
• It is the largest gibbon (correct)
• It lives only on the ground

It is the largest gibbon and can be twice the size of the others.

2. How big can a siamang's throat pouch get?

• As big as its head (correct)
• As big as a pea
• As big as its whole body
• It cannot inflate at all

The pouch can be inflated to the size of its head to make calls resonate.

3. What is unusual about the siamang's feet?

• They have no toes
• Two toes are partly joined by skin (correct)
• They have suction pads
• They point backwards

The second and third toes on each foot are partly joined by a membrane.

4. Which siamang couples spend more time singing?

• Old couples
• Couples with no territory
• Couples living in zoos
• Newly formed couples (correct)

New pairs sing more than established ones, showing off their bond.

5. What do siamang fathers do once a baby is about 8 months old?

• Leave the family
• Carry the baby much of the time (correct)
• Build it a nest on the ground
• Teach it to swim

Fathers take a major role in carrying the baby from about 8 months.

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