orangutan, (Malaysian: “person of the forest”) (genus Pongo), also spelled orang-utan, any of three

species of Asian great apes found in rainforests on the Southeast Asian islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
The Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) inhabits large portions of Borneo, whereas the Sumatran
orangutan (P. abelii) and the Tapanuli orangutan (P. tapanuliensis) are limited to northern Sumatra.
Orangutans possesses cognitive abilities comparable to those of the gorilla and the chimpanzee, which
are the only primates more closely related to humans.

Natural history

male orangutan

male orangutan

Orangutans are not as powerfully built as the gorilla but are larger than the chimpanzee. The adult male
is typically twice the size of the female and may attain a height of 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) and a weight of
130 kg (285 pounds) in the wild; females weigh 37 kg (82 pounds) or less. Older males develop wide
cheek pads, a unique feature among primates. The typically dark tan or brownish skin is covered with
relatively coarse and usually sparse red hair. Adult males and some older adult females may have
partially or entirely bare backs, but the hair on a male can be so long as to look like a cape when he
moves his arms.

Diet and locomotion

orangutan swinging along branches

orangutan swinging along branches

Orangutans are the largest arboreal animals, spending more than 90 percent of their waking hours in
the trees. During the day most of their time is divided equally between resting and feeding. Orangutans
are predominantly ripe-fruit eaters, although they consume more than 400 different types of food,
including invertebrates and, on rare and opportunistic occasions, meat. Almost every night orangutans
construct a sleeping platform in the trees by bending and breaking branches, leaves, and twigs. Unlike
the African apes, orangutans frequently use vegetation to protect themselves from the rain.

orangutan

orangutan

In addition to feeding and resting, orangutans also spend short periods of time traveling through the
forest canopy, where they typically scramble by using all four hands and feet. Orangutans occasionally
swing through the trees using only their arms (brachiation). Although their legs are short, their arms are
proportionately the longest of those of the great apes. The hooklike hands have long fingers and palms
with short thumbs. The feet resemble the hands in having opposable big toes that are similar to the
thumbs. Another arboreal adaptation is flexible hip joints that allow orangutans similar movement in
their legs and arms. On the ground orangutans are slow; a person can easily keep pace with them. They
are not knuckle walkers like the African apes but instead walk on closed fists or extended palms.

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

Britannica Quiz

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Reproduction

There are two phases of sexual maturation among males—adult and subadult. Adult males are larger
and exhibit striking secondary sexual characteristics, particularly the flat and prominent cheek pads that
develop along the sides of the face. The pads enhance the size of the head and are linked with increased
levels of testosterone. Adult males also have a throat pouch that serves as a resonating chamber for the
“long call,” a sequence of roars that can sometimes be heard for 2 km (1.2 miles). Males typically
vocalize for a minute or more; calls up to five minutes in length have been recorded, giving the call its
name. Females virtually never give the full sequence of the long call, as it serves to space males and
attract sexually receptive females. Otherwise, orangutans are generally silent. Subadult males lack the
wide cheek pads and large throat pouch, and they generally do not long call. Although smaller than adult
males, subadults are still as large as or larger than adult females. Subadults may remain in this state for
10 to 20 years. This arrested development has been linked with stress associated with the presence of
adult males.

orangutan

orangutan

Orangutans live in a semisolitary social organization that is unique among monkeys and apes. Population
densities usually average only two to three individuals per square kilometre (about five to seven per
square mile), with adult males having larger home ranges than females. Adult males are the most
solitary, avoiding each other and associating only with consorting females or former consorts. Subadult
males associate primarily with females. Adult females live with their dependent young, but adolescent
females are almost gregarious. Sexually receptive females may attract several males, both adult and
subadult. Males, adults in particular, behave aggressively toward other males at this time, with combat
taking place in the presence of receptive females. Most mating takes place in the context of
consortships that last 3 to 10 days and are correlated with ovulation. Subadult males often forcibly
copulate with females at times other than during ovulation.