Gibbons: Hylobatidae - Physical Characteristics

Gibbons have a thick coat that ranges in color from black to silvery gray to ash blond. They have a slender body and no tail. The bare face is framed in white fur or other markings. The extremely long arms, with hooklike fingers, are used for brachiating (BRAKE-ee-ate-ing), or swinging from branch to branch. Scientists consider gibbons as the only true brachiators, having powerful shoulder joints for reaching overhead and a wrist that can be rotated 180 degrees for switching position without tiring the arms and upper body. Gibbons are the only apes with skin pads on their buttocks that allow them to sleep comfortably sitting up.