The

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Hylobates'' is one of the four genera of

gibbon Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical forests from eastern Bangladesh and Northeast Indi ...

s. Its name means "forest walker", from the Greek (, "forest") and (, "one who treads"). It was once considered the only genus, but recently its subgenera (''

Hoolock The hoolock gibbons are three primate species of genus ''Hoolock'' in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae, native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India, Myanmar, and Southwest China. Description Hoolocks are the second-largest of the gibbons, after ...

'' ormerly ''Bunopithecus'' ''

Nomascus ''Nomascus'' is the second-most speciose genus of the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. Originally, this genus was a subgenus of ''Hylobates'', with all individuals considered to be one species, ''H. concolor''. Species within ''Nomascus'' are charact ...

'', and ''

Symphalangus The siamang (, ; ''Symphalangus syndactylus'') is an endangered arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The largest of the gibbons, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching i ...

'') have been elevated to the genus level. ''Hylobates'' remains the most species-rich and widespread of gibbon genera, ranging from southern China (

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

) to western and central

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

. Individuals within this genus are characterized by 44 chromosomes and often have a ring of white fur around their faces.

Classification

* Family

Hylobatidae Gibbons () are apes in the Family (biology), family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical forests from eastern Bangladesh an ...

: gibbons ** Genus ''Hylobates'' *** Lar gibbon or white-handed gibbon, ''Hylobates lar'' **** Malaysian lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar lar'' **** Carpenter's lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar carpenteri'' **** Central lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar entelloides'' **** Sumatran lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar vestitus'' **** Yunnan lar gibbon, ''Hylobates lar yunnanensis'' *** Bornean white-bearded gibbon, ''Hylobates albibarbis'' *** Agile gibbon or black-handed gibbon, ''Hylobates agilis'' *** Western grey gibbon or Abbott's grey gibbon, ''Hylobates abbotti'' *** Eastern grey gibbon or northern grey gibbon, ''Hylobates funereus'' ***

Müller's gibbon Müller's gibbon (''Hylobates muelleri''), also known as the southern grey gibbon, is a primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. Taxonomy Formerly, the western grey gibbon (''H. abbotti'') and eastern grey gibbon (''H. funereus'') were consi ...

or southern grey gibbon, ''Hylobates muelleri'' *** Silvery gibbon, ''Hylobates moloch'' **** Western silvery gibbon or western Javan gibbon, ''Hylobates moloch moloch'' **** Eastern silvery gibbon or central Javan gibbon, ''Hylobates moloch pongoalsoni'' *** Pileated gibbon or capped gibbon, ''Hylobates pileatus'' *** Kloss's gibbon or Mentawai gibbon, bilou or dwarf siamang, ''Hylobates klossii'' ** Genus ''

'' ** Genus ''

Hybrids

Hybrids between

(''H. muelleri'') and the Bornean white-bearded gibbon, (''H. albibarbis'') have been reported in areas of

Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...

. A gibbon born at the Kujukushima Zoo in Japan to a female lar or white-handed gibbon (''H. lar'') was determined to have been fathered by a male agile gibbon (''H. agilis'').

References

External links

Primate Info Net ''Hylobates'' Factsheets
{{Authority control Gibbons Mammals of Southeast Asia Primate genera Taxa named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger Taxa described in 1811 cs:Gibon