Orangutan Facts
Orangutan Facts
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Orangutans are large, red colored Apes. They are the only group of Great Apes that live outside the Africa. There are two types of orangutans, named by the islands of Indonesia which they inhabit: Sumatran and Borean orangutans (they live in rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo). Both species are critically endangered because of poaching and loss of habitat.
| Interesting Orangutan Facts: |
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| Orangutans are also known as "Red Apes" because of their red coat. |
| Orangutans are one of our closest relatives. They have 32 teeth, like humans and their pregnancy lasts 9 months, just like in women. |
| They are usually 3.5-4.5 feet tall and weigh between 110-200 pounds. |
| 50% of their diet consists of fruit. Other than that, orangutans like to eat leaves, bark, insects…They are diurnal animals, which mean that they are active during the day. |
| Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammals (animals that spend their life in the trees). They can move quickly from one branch to another. Also they can spend a lot of time by holding the branch with one arm when they consume fruit or leaves. |
| They live in the trees to avoid predators like tigers or leopards that hunt on the ground. |
| When orangutans stretch their arms, distance between toes on their left and right arms is 7-8 feet, which is greater than human height. |
| Orangutans are very intelligent animals. They use tools like sticks to check depth of the water before entering. When mosquitoes bother them, they use branches to chase them away. When it rains or when sun is too strong, they will use large leaves to protect their heads. |
| They can produce a wide range of sounds (13-15) for communication. |
| Orangutans are solitary animals. Males always live on their own while females live alone or with their offspring. Males and females spend time together only during mating season. |
| Around the age of 15, male orangutans develop large cheek pads which attract females. These pads grow their entire life. |
| 9 months of pregnancy will end with one baby. They are tightly associated with their mothers and depend on them for food and protection. Young orangutans will stay with their mothers 7 years. |
| Orangutan baby will cry when it is hungry and it will whimper when it is hurt. Baby orangutans can smile to their mothers. |
| Orangutans reproduce slowly. They have only 3 offspring in a lifetime. |
| Orangutans live 35 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity. |
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Related Links: Facts Animal Facts Animals Facts Bornean vs. Sumatran orangutan |