Class: Mammalian

Order: Primate

Family: Pongidae

Genus species: Pongo (gorilla/Orangutan) pygmaeus (small, dwarfish)

Size: head and body length, male, .97 m (3.2 ft.); female .78 m (2.6 ft.)

Weight: males up to 90 kg (198 lb.); females to 50 kg (110 lb.)

Description: the only great ape from Asia. Two subspecies: Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus) has a round face with dark red coat; Sumatran (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) has a long narrow face with paler longer hair. Adult males of both species have large cheek flaps.

Life span: up to 50 years

Sexual maturity: between 7 and 10 years of age

Gestation (how long the female is pregnant before birth): 260 to 270 days

Habitat: Primary lowland swamp in Borneo and montane forest in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

Diet: fruit and other plant materials including leaves, bark, flowers, and nuts, occasionally insects and small mammals.

Status: listed as endangered by USFWS.

Unlike other great apes, Orangutans live alone; this may be related to the fact that they need to eat a lot of food, especially fruit, and the sources food are located in small clumps in forests, far from other food.

Even though they are able to walk for short distances, Orangutans travel mostly by brachiating (swinging on branches using their arms) through trees, using well used routes known by Orangutans in the forest.

Orangutans shelter themselves from rain and sun by holding leafy branches over their heads, and when constructing a night nest in the trees, will sometimes add a leafy roof.

Males have a large throat sac that helps them make "long calls." The sound travels for up to 1 km (0.62 mile) through dense vegetation, which helps the males define territories.