Orangatan – “Turn Left, Clyde”

When I think of this critter I can’t help but think of Clint Eastwood – yummy! That is yummy for Clint. He has always been one of my favorite actors for as long as I can remember.

Here’s a clue: It’s not horses like my editor thought cuz after all I already wrote about them way back when. What critter than? Well …

 

If you like Clint like I do, you know it’s none other than Clyde the orangutan! How cool would it be to have a critter like Clyde. I am not sure my editor would like me adding to my critter menagerie, after all if I was to just get one he would have to deal with it right? After all I’m Kritter Girl

So here are some facts about Clyde:

• They are called “Orang Hutan” by the people of Malaysia and Indonesia. In English the translation is “People of the Forest”. And referred to as the only red ape
• In Malay, orangutan literal translation is “man of the jungle”

There are two species of orangutans: Sumatran, Pongo abelii, Sumatran and Borean, Pongo pygmaeus. Bornean[a]

• They are the largest diurnal (active during the day) tree living mammal in the world. Native to Malaysia, and Indonesia. Found currently in the leafy canopy of the rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra.

• Orangutan fossils have been found in China, Vietnam and in Java.

• Orangutans are the only surviving species in the genus Pongo, the subfamily Ponginae, order of primates

Data on the two subspecies of orangutans has shown differences in diet between the two. Bornean’s eat less fruit overall and eat more vegetables and tree sap, whereas Sumatrans eat more insects[b]

• They share 97% of the same DNA as us, humans and have feet and hand that are similar to ours.

• They are semi-solitary shy, generally passive critters, but can be fiercely territorial and aggression towards other orangutans is very common.
• They spending most of their time in the trees.The male’s remains more solitary, and loners so to speak that is until they encounter a female who is willing to mate.

• Males can weigh over 200 pounds, with prominent cheek flanges (cheek pads, which keep growing for most of their life) and longer hair, females about 1/3 to 1/2 in sizes. Flanged males protect and establish a territory which doesn’t overlap that of other flanged males.
• They have 32 permanent teeth just like us.
• Females do not have established territories as well as that of the unflanged males.

• Because of the size of the males they tend to travel on the ground more than the females.

• They have an enormous arm span; males can stretch their arms about 7 feet, which is from fingertip to fingertip.

• They have a standing height of about 5 feet and their hands almost touch the ground.

• They have the ability to think, reason and are highly intelligent. Other than humans according to the recent research at Harvard Orangutans have a higher problem and learning solving ability over that of the chimpanzees.

• There are four kinds of great apes, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, and bonobos. All come from Africa except the orangutan it’s from Asia the only great ape found outside Africa. And is the most critically endangered of the great apes because of loss of habitat and poaching. They are disappearing at the rate of 2,000 orangutans a year.

• In the ape world they have the most unique hair color, a bright reddish brown.

• They build their nest every night in the very tops of the trees out of leaves and branches.

• Their drinking water is supplied to them by rain filled leaves. They will also back an umbrella out of leaves when it rains very hard.

• Just about all the food they eat grows in the tree tops. And they forage for their food during the daylight hours, traveling between the treetops up to 100 feet high.
• Their diet is that of a variety of insects, 300 different kinds of fruit, which is of about 60% of their diet, as well as flowers, leaves and bark, pith, seeds, stems and shoots, their omnivores.
• They prefer sweet foods and will even steal honey from bee hives. Regardless of being stung. They will also eat meat when other food is scarce.

• Studies show some Orangutans fashion tools to help them forage for food. The evidence of this done by chimpanzees was discovered by Jane Goodall in the 1960’s.
• Just like us they are bothered by mosquitoes they also use branches like fly swatters to swat them away.
• Because they fear they would be forced to work if caught they choose not to speak as legend had it.

• In the wild the Orangutans can live to about 35-40 years. To the age of 50 sometimes in captivity.

• Females reach their puberty at about 8 years old and have a gestation of 8 1/2 to 9 months producing once baby.

• Of all the critters in the world the baby orangutan has the longest dependence on its mom, nursing to about the age of 6. Female offspring will hang around longer then the males. They stay to develop the skills they need to survive on their own.

The babies must eventually know hundreds of species of plants and trees, which ones are edible, and how to process them; some are very difficult to eat because they are protected by sharp spines and shells.[c]

• Females only give birth about once every 8 years. Averaging only about 4-5 babies in her lifetime. One of the reasons why the recovery from disturbance is so slow.

• With the increase of forest fires and logging with Orangutan habit has been destroyed over the last decade along with hunting they are in danger of extinctions. Their current status is endangered. Baby orangutans are illegally trapped and put into the pet trade for sale which is major problem.
• About 1000 orangutan orphans are in rehab center and rescues.
• The flesh of the adult Orangutans is sold and eaten by poachers.

Sources:

http://www.orangutan.com/orangutanfacts/orangutan_facts.htm

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/explorers/cheryl-knott.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/474543/interesting_facts_about_orangutans.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan

http://www.orangutan.ca/orangutan_facts

Other sites to visit:

http://orangutan1.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/fun-facts-on-orangutans/

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/orangutans/redape.html

http://orangutan1.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/not-so-fun-facts-about-orangutans/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/474543/interesting_facts_about_orangutans.html

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/explorers/cheryl-knott.html

http://www.orangutanproject.com/index.php?navi_id=19

http://www.orangutan.ca/orangutan_facts

http://www.orangutan.ca/orangutan_facts

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[a] http://orangutan1.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/fun-facts-on-orangutans/

[b] http://www.orangutan.ca/orangutan_facts

[c] http://www.orangutan.com/orangutanfacts/orangutan_facts.htm