The Orangutan![]() |
Where it lives: The orangutan lives in Sumatra and Borneo.![]() Orangutan means \'forest person\'. What it looks like: The orangutan has reddish brown hair. The orangutan has four legs, which it moves on. The orangutans from Sumatra have cheek flaps. The orangutans from Borneo have beards to look like wise men. The tallest an orangutan can get is 5 ft. The females are half this size. Males can grow up to 200 pounds. The males are twice as heavy as the females. ![]() Habitat: The orangutans\' habitat is the teak tree. They also swing from tree to tree looking for food. The orangutans occasionally go to the forest floor. ![]() What it eats: The orangutan eats things such as fruit, plant shoots, leaves, sap, honey, nuts, fungus, wild figs, flower stalks, lychees, rambutans, taraps, lansats, wild plums and durians. Sometimes they eat termites and ants. Special features: The orangutan has a really long arm spread. It is the longest of the apes. It can be up to 7 feet. It is the only great ape in Asia. The orangutan moves easily through the trees. The orangutans\' teeth are so strong that they can break prickly pods and hard nuts. What family is it in? The orangutan is in the family of Great Apes. The orangutans\' scientific name is \'Pongo pygmaeus\'. Does it have an enemy? Yes. Orangutans are peaceful apes, but their enemy is man. They have been hunted and their habitats have been destroyed. Also, they have been put in zoos and circuses. ![]() Interesting facts: The orangutan protects itself from the sun and rain by holding a leaf over its head. The orangutan uses bamboo rods or twigs to get things it can\'t reach. ![]() Shamma Mohamed |