Symphalangus syndctylus also known as the Siamang Gibbon is a very unique, monkey like animal.  It has interesting characteristics and fascinating appeal.  The Siamangs habitat is limited and its population is shrinking, because of its ever changing environment.  The Siamang is a distinctive creature worth learning about.  Although the Siamang is not as well known as the common monkey, its different aspects create a very interesting creature that is becoming extinct.

The Siamang is not big when compared to most animals.  Siamangs are smaller than monkeys and are only 30-35 in. tall, and weigh only 23-45 lbs.  Another thing that makes this animal very unique is that it carries its vocal cords in its throat sac.  The Siamang is usually dark black, and has a thick fur coat. Siamangs are not only small and different from other animals, but are becoming an endangered species because they don’t have enough to eat.

The Siamang doesn’t usually get as much food as it needs to survive, unless it lives alone.

The Siamang has difficulty surviving in its environment, because it does not have a lot of adaptations.  Siamangs are found in the Malay Peninsula Of the Sumatra Island.  Their forest environment on the Peninsula is changing, but the Siamangs are not adapting to these changes.  These challenges have led this species to its current conservation status.

The Siamangs conservation status is threatened, and endangered and has therefore become one of scientists top priorities.  There are less than 1,500 Siamangs left in the world.  This means the Siamangs are endangered and almost extinct.  In recent years humans have begun to realize the mistakes made by destroying their habitat.  The main reason their population is shrinking is because of their reduction in food supply.
The Siamangs food supply and diet only allow them to get enough food to barely survive. The Siamang is very high in the food web because it has no surrounding predators.  The Siamang find food during the day which includes parts of plants, insects, nuts, small animals, birds, and bird eggs.  When looking for food, Siamangs travel in a pack and compete only among themselves.  The Siamangs primary problem with finding food is the deforestation of their environment.

The only real predators to the Siamangs are humans.  No animals actually eat the Siamang, but they are helpless against the humans who continue to cut down the trees in their habitat.  Even though the Siamang is endangered it is still a creature of the earth, and is entitled to survive.  Since scientists have studied individual Siamangs in controlled environments, they have learned several facts about this almost extinct creature.

The Siamang has many things that make it stand out.  The Siamang has a unique look.  It has a large throat sack and monkey like appearance.  It really stands out from other animals in this family, because of its large throat sack.  The Siamang is now endangered, and the idea of an animal becoming extinct due to the acts of man was never a concept that seemed important until learning about this animal.
The Symphalangus syndactylus also know as the Siamang is characteristically unique and it is almost extinct. The Siamang has unique physical qualities such as its large throat sack, and its small physical size.  It has no natural predators, but its food source is being destroyed with the destruction of its habitat.  The Siamang population will continue to shrink until it is extinct unless action is taken to help grow the population of the species. 

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Author: Jeremy S.
Published: 12/2012

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Sources: Nurcahyo, A. (2001). Daily Ranging, Home-Range, Foods, Feeding and Calling in Siamang (Hylobates syndactylus). In WCS-IP 2001. Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in Space and Time. 2000 -2001 Research Report. WCS-IP/ PHKA, Bogor. 35-52.

Nijman,V. (2005). In Full Swing: An Assessment of Trade in Orang-Utans and Gibbons on Java and Bali, Indonesia. A Traffict Southeast Asia Report. Traffic Southeast Asia  Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M, eds. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 181. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494

http://www.honoluluzoo.org/siamang.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/apes/siamang/

http://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/mammals/siamang

Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamang