What is the Siamang?
Q: What is the Siamang?
A: The Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) is a tailless, black furred gibbon native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra.
Q: How big can a Siamang grow?
A: Siamangs can grow up to 1 m in height and weigh up to 23 kg.
Q: What makes the Siamang different from other gibbons?
A: The Siamang is different form other gibbons because two fingers on each hand are fused together, which is where the name "syndactylus" comes from. Additionally, they have large gular sacs that can be inflated to the size of its head.
Q: Are there any subspecies of the Siamang?
A: There may be two subspecies of the Siamang - the nominate Sumatran Siamang (S. s. syndactylus) and the Malaysian Siamang (S. s. continentis). Otherwise, it could just be a population in peninsular Malaysia.
Q: What kind of environment does a Siamang live in?
A: The Siamangs lives in trees so it is called arboreal and inhabits forests in Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra.
Q: How long do they typically live for?
A: In captivity, a Siamaing can live over 30 years old but their lifespan may be shorter due to illegal buying and selling as pets or habitat loss caused by palm oil production clearing lots of forest land reducing their habitat along with other species such as tigers.
