The Sumatran Orangutan
Pongo Ableii
Physical Characteristics
Sumatran Orangutans are about 4 to 5 feet in length and weigh anywhere from 66 to 198 pounds. Females are usually smaller than the males.
Sumatran Orangutans have long arms. They also have strong gripping feet and hands that allow them to swing from tree to tree. They are also usually covered in long orange hair all over their body excluding parts of their faces, hands and feet.
Sumatran Orangutans live on platform nests they build in trees about 50 feet above the ground.
Habitat
The Sumatran Orangutan species are found on the island of Sumatra. They live in the moist broad leaf rain forests, and spend most of their time up in the trees. The average temperature ranges between 68-82 degrees fahrenheit. The forest have steady rainfall throughout the entire year and usually have anywhere between 59 - 390 inches of rain a year.
Interactions in the Community
The only predator of the Sumatran Orangutan are humans. They eat mainly insects, birds and fruits.
Endangered: why, when , why save
The Sumatran Orangutans are becoming extinct because of deforestation, which is causing them to lose their habitats. They should be saved because they are frugivores and play a large role in spreading seeds over barriers of space. If they became extinct then many trees would too.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Sumatran Orangutan." Sumatran Orangutan. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2013. <http://www.theanimalspot.com/sumatranorangutan.htm>.
WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2013. <http://worldwildlife.org/species/sumatran-orangutan>.