Top 10 largest monkey breeds in the world

Monkeys are very special creatures. They are considered one of the most developed representatives of the animal world. Of course, not all monkeys are the same, among them there are many primitive little creatures that strive to do some kind of dirty trick. But with humanoid species, things are quite different.

People have long been fascinated and interested in the intelligence of monkeys. But not only this became the subject of study, but also the fruit of the fantasies of some science fiction writers. The size. Who doesn’t know the huge King Kong, king of the jungle?

But there is no need to turn to cinema and literature, because nature is full of its giants. Although they are not as impressive as King Kong (they still need to be fed in nature), but in our rating there was a place for the ten largest monkey breeds in the world.

10 Eastern hulok

Growth – 60-80 cm, the weight – 6-9 kg.

Previously, this cute monkey with eternally surprised white eyebrows belonged to gibbons, but in 2005, after molecular studies, it was separated into two species: western and oriental hulok. And the eastern one just refers to the largest primates.

Males are larger and black in color, females are black-brown and instead of white arches they have light rings around the eyes, like a mask. Hulok lives in southern China, Myanmar and the extreme east of India.

It lives mainly in tropical, sometimes in deciduous forests. Prefers to occupy the upper tiers, does not like water and eats fruits. Hulok forms a very strong pair with his female, and the cubs are born white, and only with time their fur turns black.

9. Japanese macaque

Growth – 80-95 cm, the weight – 12-14 kg.

Japanese macaques They live on the island of Yakushima and have a number of characteristic features, so they are distinguished as a separate species. They are distinguished by their shorter coat, as well as cultural behavior.

Macaques live in groups of 10 to 100 individuals, both males and females enter the flock. The habitat of these monkeys is the northernmost of all, they live both in subtropical and mixed forests and even in the mountains.

In the north, where temperatures drop below zero, Japanese macaques take refuge in hot springs. These very springs can become a real trap: climbing out, the monkeys freeze even more. Therefore, they have established a system for supplying their group mates with “dry” macaques, while the rest are basking in the springs.

8. Bonobo

Growth – 110-120 cm, the weight – 40-61 kg.

Bonobo also called pygmy chimpanzee, in fact, they belong to the same genus and were isolated relatively recently as a separate species. Bonobos are not inferior in height to their closest relatives, but they are less sinewy and broad-shouldered. They have small ears, a high forehead, and parted hair.

Bonobos have gained their popularity due to unusual behavior for the animal world. They are known as the most loving primates. They resolve conflicts, avoid them, reconcile, express emotions, experience joy and anxiety, they are often in one way: by mating. However, this has little effect on population growth.

Unlike chimpanzees, bonobos are not as aggressive, they do not hunt together, males are tolerant of cubs and adolescents, and the female is at the head of the flock.

7. common chimpanzee

Growth – 130-160 cm, the weight – 40-80 kg.

Chimpanzee live in Africa, in tropical forests and wet savannahs. Their body is covered with dark brown hair, the face, fingers and soles of the feet remain hairless.

Chimpanzees live for a long time, up to 50-60 years, the cubs are fed up to three years, and they remain with their mother for some time. Chimpanzees are omnivorous primates, but prefer fruits, leaves, nuts, insects, and small invertebrates. They move both in trees and on the ground, relying mainly on four limbs, but can walk short distances on two legs.

At night, they build nests in the trees in which they spend the night, each time a new one. This skill is learned from older generations to avoid danger, and captive chimpanzees almost never build nests.

The basis of their communication is a variety of sounds, gestures, facial expressions, emotions are of great importance, their interaction is versatile and rather complex.

6. Kalimantan orangutan

Growth – 100-150 cm, the weight – 40-90 kg.

Kalimantan orangunang – a large anthropoid ape, covered with thick red-brown hair. It lives on the island of Kalimantan, the third largest in the world. Prefers tropical rainforests, but can also live among palm trees. They feed mainly on fruits and plants, but they can also eat eggs and insects.

These orangutans are considered long-lived among primates, there are cases when the age of individual individuals exceeded 60 years. Unlike chimpanzees, orangutans are not as aggressive, they respond well to training. Therefore, their cubs are the object of hunting for poachers, and the Kalimantanan orangutan is on the verge of extinction.

5. Bornean orangutan

Growth – 100-150 cm, the weight – 50-100 kg.

The Bornean orangutan lives on the island of Borneo and spends its entire life in the branches of the local rainforests. He practically does not descend to the ground, even to a watering place. It has a protruding muzzle, long arms, and a coat that, in old age, grows so much that it resembles matted dreadlocks.

Males have pronounced occipital and sagittal crests, fleshy growths on the face. The orangunang feeds mainly on plant foods, ripe fruits, bark and leaves of trees, and honey. A distinctive feature of these animals is a solitary lifestyle, which is not typical for primates. Only females during the period of feeding the cubs can be in the group.

4. Sumatran orangutan

Growth – 100-150 cm, the weight – 50-100 kg.

Sumatran orangunang – the third species of one of the largest monkeys on the planet. Representatives of this species are thinner and taller than their relatives from the island of Borneo. However, they also have very strong limbs and well-developed muscles. They mostly have short, red-brown coats that are long on the shoulders. The legs are short, but the arm span is large, up to 3 m.

Like all members of the genus, Sumatran orangutans spend most of their lives in trees. They feed on fruits, honey, bird eggs, and sometimes chicks and insects. They drink from the hollows of trees, from wide leaves, they even lick their own wool, because they are terribly afraid of water, and if they find themselves in a pond, they will immediately drown.

3. mountain gorilla

Growth – 100-150 cm, the weight – up to 180 kg.

Open the top three, of course, representatives of the genus of gorillas – mountain gorillas. They live in a relatively small area of ​​the Great Rift Valley in Central Africa, at an altitude of 2-4,3 thousand meters above sea level.

Mountain gorillas have almost 30 differences from other species, but the most obvious ones are a thicker coat, powerful occipital ridges where the chewing muscles are attached. Their color is black, they have brown eyes with a black frame of the iris.

They live mainly on the ground, moving on four powerful legs, but are able to climb trees, especially teenagers. They feed on plant foods, with leaves, bark and herbs making up most of the diet. An adult male is able to eat 30 kg of vegetation per day, while the appetite of females is more modest – up to 20 kg.

2. lowland gorilla

Growth – 150-180 cm, the weight – 70-140 kg.

This is a fairly common species of gorilla that lives in Angola, Cameroon, Congo and some other countries. Lives in mountain forests, sometimes swampy areas.

It is representatives of this species that in most cases live in zoos, and the only known albino gorilla also belongs to the plains counterparts.

Gorillas are not jealous of the boundaries of their territories, often crossed by communities. Their group consists of a male and females with their cubs, sometimes non-dominant males join them. population lowland gorillas estimated at 200 individuals.

1. coast gorilla

Growth – 150-180 cm, the weight – 90-180 kg.

coast gorilla lives in equatorial Africa, settles in mangrove, mountain, and some tropical forests. This is the largest monkey in the world, the weight of the male can reach 180 kg, and the female does not exceed 100 kg. They have a brown-black coat with a red fringe on the forehead, which is quite noticeable in males. They also have a silver-gray stripe on their backs.

Gorillas have large teeth and powerful jaws, because they have to grind a lot of plant food to support such a large body.

Gorillas prefer to be on the ground, but since there are many fruit trees in some parts of Africa, monkeys can spend long periods of time on branches, eating fruit. Gorillas live on average 30-35 years, in captivity their age reaches 50 years.