Nomascus leucogenys
| Northern white-cheeked gibbon | |
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| Nomascus leucogenys male | |
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| Nomascus leucogenys female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Superfamily: | Hominoidea |
| Family: | Hylobatidae |
| Genus: | Nomascus |
| Species: | N. leucogenys |
| Binomial name | |
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Nomascus leucogenys (Ogilby, 1840) |
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| Northern white-cheeked gibbon range (brown — extant, orange — probably extinct) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Hylobates leucogenys (Ogilby, 1840) |
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Hylobates leucogenys (Ogilby, 1840)
The northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys) is a species of gibbon native to South East Asia. It is closely related to the southern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus siki), with which it was previously considered conspecific. The females of the two species are virtually indistinguishable in appearance.
The genome of N. leucogenys was sequenced and published in 2011.
A "substantial" population of 455 critically endangered northern white-cheeked crested gibbons has been recently found living in the Pù Mát National Park in Nghệ An Province, northern Vietnam, near the border with Laos. Conservation International report they are living at high altitudes, and far from human settlements. This population, representing two-thirds of the total known in Vietnam are, apparently, the "only confirmed viable population" of this variety in the world.
Northern white-cheeked gibbons are sexually dimorphic, with males and females having different colourations and the former also being slightly larger. Males have black hair over their entire bodies, except for distinct white patches on their cheeks, as well as a prominent tuft of hair on the crown of head, and a gular sac. Females are reddish-tan in colour, lack a cranial tuft, and have a crest of black or dark brown fur running from the crown to the nape of the neck. They are reported to have an average weight of 7.5 kg (17 lb), although this is based on only a small number of wild individuals, and those in captivity appear to be larger.
Like other members of their genus, both males and females have unusually long arms, even for gibbons, with the arms being 1.2 to 1.4 times as long as the legs. They are also more muscular, with heavier thighs and shoulders that suggest a greater bodily strength. Adults have been shown to demonstrate a hand preference while swinging through the trees, with individuals being equally likely to be right or left handed.
The species closely resembles the southern white-cheeked gibbon, but has slightly longer body hair and subtly different vocalisations. The males can also be distinguished by the shape of the white patches on their cheeks; in the northern species, these reach the upper borders of the ears, and do not touch the corners of the mouth, whereas in the southern species, they reach only half way to the ears and entirely surround the lips.
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Wikipedia