Head to head
Western Hoolock Gibbon vs White-Handed Gibbon
Western Hoolock Gibbon
VS White-Handed Gibbon
The western hoolock gibbon and white-handed gibbon are both small, monogamous apes that swing through the canopy and sing duets, living in different parts of Asia's rainforests.
| Western Hoolock Gibbon | White-Handed Gibbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Hoolock hoolock | Hylobates lar |
| Appearance | Males are black with white eyebrows, while females are buff to golden brown | White hands, as its name suggests |
| Range | Rainforest in northeastern India, Bangladesh, and western Myanmar | Rainforests of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, southern and western Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos |
| Diet | Mostly ripe fruit, along with leaves, flowers, and some insects | Mostly ripe fruit, especially figs, along with young leaves, flowers, buds, insects, and bird eggs |
| Locomotion | Travels by brachiating, swinging hand over hand beneath the branches | Has arms far longer than its legs, and brachiates at up to about 55 km/h in bursts |
| Song | Pairs sing loud duets that mark their territory and help keep the pair bond strong | Mated pairs perform loud, structured morning duets, with the female's great call carrying over a kilometre |
| Special note | The only ape found in India | Extinct in China and probably in Vietnam |
| Conservation status | Endangered, with a decreasing population | Endangered, with a decreasing population |
Western Hoolock Gibbon vs White-Handed Gibbon: common questions
How can you tell male and female hoolock gibbons apart?
Males are black with white eyebrows, while females are buff to golden brown.
Which gibbon is the only ape in India?
The western hoolock gibbon, which lives in the forests of northeastern India.
Where do the hoolock and white-handed gibbons live?
The western hoolock gibbon lives in northeastern India, Bangladesh, and western Myanmar, while the white-handed gibbon lives in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos.