Orangutans :: essays research papers

Orangutans     In Malay orang means "person" and utan is defined as "forest. ThusOrangutan literally means "Person of the timbre". Orangutans atomic number 18 found in thetropical forests of Sumatra and Borneo. They are the most dendroid of the greatapes and move amongst the safety of the trees from one feeding site to the next.They are so well adapted to arboreal life that they can non place their feet onthe ground, instead they walk on the outside of their curved foot.     There is a scattered population of orangutan in Indonesian Borneo,Malaysia Borneo and northern Sumatra. The disparate habitats have isolated theorangutan reproductively and geographically from one another creating a "degreeof difference" or two subspecies. There are some(prenominal) different characteristicsbetween the two subspecies of orangutans and it has recently been suggested thatthey may be a separate species. The Borneo male has re latively large cheekpads, a tremendous laryngeal sac and a square shaped face. The Sumatran malehas small pads and laryngeal sac, a ginger coloured moustache, a pronouncedbeard, and a diamond shaped face. Individuals can also be distinguishedchromosomally, biochemically, and by their cranial characteristics.     There is a great have intercourse of individual variety in the orangutan. "Eachorang-utan had a distinct personality and in dealing with such highlyintelligent animals in captivity, the keepers friendship of the individual wasprobably more important than the knowledge of the overall behavior patterns "(Markham, 1980). Orangutan males, however, appear to be totally intolerant ofone another, peculiarly the Borneo males who are even aggressive towards femalesand infants. Male orangutans participation in fond groups is limited tosexual "consortship" with females. However, the Sumatran males tend to stay withfemales for a protracted peri od of time usually until the birth of the infant.They may stay prolonged with their partner because of the presence of largepredators absent in the Borneo habitat. The orangutan has a menstrual cycle of29-30 days, menstruation lasting 3-4 days. The Gestation period lasts meagrelyless than nine months. Offspring pass through three stages, babyhood (0-4),juvenile (4-7), and adolescents (7-10). Mother untried relationship lasts for along time, the young usually stay with their mother until they are mature.Female Orangutans are not sexually mature or fully grown until the age of xiiand will not have their first offspring until they are at least fourteen. Malesbecome sexually mature and fully grown at the age of fifteen. The cheek flangesof the male easily recognize the differences between adults and semi-adults. Theflanges in the Boreal male curve out ward from the face and coach around the