Orangutans
By Ben H
Classification
- Frugivorous mammal
- Scientific name: pongo pygmaeus
- 1.2 - 1.5 m in height
- 33 - 82 kg in weight
- Great ape
- Warm-blooded
- Orangutan means "Man of the Forest"
Appearance
The orangutan is the largest Arboreal mammal in the world with a reddish brown, or brown long hair coat. The orangutan has long, strong arms which are perfect for the environment they live in. Orangutans arms are also like hands, which help swinging through the forest like tarzan. Adult males weigh about 144 kilograms, and adult females weigh about 65 kilograms.
Life cycle
The baby orangutans stays in its mothers stomach for 8 months and once in the real world stays with its mother for 8 years, the longest time any animal stays with its mother excluding humans. After that, orangutans live for about 30 - 45 year life in the wild, and in captivity they live for about 50 years.
Habitat
Orangutans only live in Borneo, Sumatra and Southeast Asia in the wild. Orangutans make nests to sleep in each night, every night which are made from leaves. If the leaves are brown that means that the nest is old. If the nest has green leaves that means that the nest is a fresh nest. Orangutans like a fertile soil in a forest, but they are not too fussy about what trees there are.
Orangutans in Borneo
Orangutans in Sumatra
Orangutans in Southeast Asia
Diet
Orangutans eat fruit as their main food, but also eat bark, leaves, flowers and insects. They are usually called frugivores. They also have another diet called the starvation diet; in this diet, all they eat is bark and leaves.
Orangutan Eating
Threats
Orangutans' habitat is being destroyed for many reasons; bushfires are destroying their homes, wiping out their homes. Their homes are also being wiped out because of palm oil plantations; people are cutting down orangutans' homes for space to make palm oil plantations. Logging is also a threat for their habit; illegal and legal. One of their threats is also illegal pet trading.