The Lar Gibbon

The lar gibbon, also known as the white-handed gibbon, is one of the smaller members of the primate family. Lar gibbons live in the rain forests of South and Southeast Asia and hardly ever come down to the forest floor. They spend their lives swinging from tree to tree. 

Lar gibbons grow to about 25 inches tall and only weigh about 12 pounds. A lar gibbon's fur can be black, dark-brown or light-brown. Their hands and feet are white, and a ring of white hair surrounds their black face. Male and female lar gibbons usually stay together their whole lives. Young gibbons leave the family to find mates when they are ready. Lar gibbons are omnivores. They mainly eat fruit, but also eat vegetables, leaves, insects, bird eggs and flowers. 

Lar gibbon families protect their territories by scaring off other gibbons with their calls. In fact, every morning, lar gibbons will gather at the edge of their territories to perform a "great call." Unfortunately, lar gibbons are endangered, mostly because of habitat loss and illegal logging.  

Cool Fact: The lar gibbon is one of the 14 species of lesser apes, which are primates that have long arms they use likes hooks to swing from branch to branch.