Hylobates moloch
| Silvery gibbon | |
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| A female and young | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Hylobatidae |
| Genus: | Hylobates |
| Species: | H. moloch |
| Binomial name | |
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Hylobates moloch (Audebert, 1798) |
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| Silvery gibbon range | |
The silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch) is a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. Its coat is bluish-grey in colour, with a dark grey or black cap. Like all gibbons, silvery gibbons lack external tails, have dorsally placed scapulae, and reduced flexibility in their lumbar regions. They have long, curved fingers and very long forelimbs relative to their hind limbs. On average, they reach 8 kg in weight.
The silvery gibbon lives exclusively on the island of Java (Indonesia), where it inhabits deeply hidden portions of the rain forests. It is diurnal and arboreal, climbing trees skilfully and brachiating through the forests. Brachiation is aided by the possession of mobile wrist joints, full rotation of the upper arm, and the ability to lock elbows in suspension. Its diet consists of fruits, leaves, and flowers.
Every three years, on average, the female gives birth to a single young, after a seven-month gestation. The offspring is nursed for about 18 months and lives with the family group until it is fully mature at about eight to ten years old.
The silvery gibbon ranks among the most threatened primates. It is listed as Endangered on the 2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with the population appearing more stable than in a 2004 assessment of the species being Critically Endangered, which suggested there was a 50% chance of the silvery gibbon becoming extinct within the next decade. Habitat destruction on densely populated Java continues to reduce the natural range of the species. Many gibbons are also lost to the illegal pet trade, when adults are hunted so their young can be sold in the markets as pets. There are less than 2,000 silvery gibbons in the wild on eight sites that are considered to be genetically viable for the continuation of the species. There are also a dozen small, non-viable populations. Mount Halimun Salak National Park sustains the largest population of ca. 1,000 gibbons. Other large populations of several hundred are found in the Gunung Ciremai National Park and Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. In the later there is a Javan Gibbon Centre that rehabilitates ex-captive gibbons.
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Wikipedia