In this article, I will be sharing with you the difference between Sumatran orangutan vs Bornean orangutan. The Sumatran orangutan and the Bornean orangutan are surprisingly the only species of great apes that are found outside Africa. In recent years, the difference between these two species of orangutan has been among the most sought-after information.
Table of Contents
Sumatran Orangutan vs Bornean Orangutan
Below are the major classifications we shall be looking at in differentiating the Sumatran orangutan from the Bornean orangutan.
- Physical Features
- Breeding
- Habitat
- Scientific Names
- Size
- Random facts about the Sumatran orangutan vs Bornean orangutan
- Conservation efforts on the Sumatran orangutan vs Bornean orangutan
- Fun Facts
Physical Features
The Bornean orangutan has a dark red coat on its body with a round face to match, it has a clown-like look because of the semi-circular thick flaps of skin protruding from the two sides of its face; known as face pads, their eyes sink deep into their faces and the males grow beards which are pale brown while the Sumatran orangutans are covered in long pale brown coats, they have no flaps of skin on their faces, they have long faces and the males also grow pale brown beards.
Breeding
The Bornean orangutans and the Sumatran orangutans have the same breading behaviours and terms(breeding period); the reproduction of these orangutans occurs only between two fully sexually grown(mature) orangutans, the males mate with more than one female and this characteristic is known as polygyny.
- The female orangutans have a menstrual cycle lasting 22 – 32 days and minor bleeding for a few days after that; depending on the species of orangutan.
- They are not known to have menopause.
- A female orangutan can have up to four offspring before death.
Cross-breeding of Sumatran orangutan vs Bornean orangutan
The Sumatran orangutans and the Bornean orangutans can be cross-bred and the hybrids produced in the process are known as cock-tail orangutans or simply are called mutts.
Habitat
The Sumatran orangutans are known to spend most of their entire lifetime as arboreals; living high up trees in the rainforests of Sumatran while the Bornean orangutans are found in the primary lowland swamps and primary rainforests in Bornean.
Scientific Names
The scientific name of the Sumatran orangutan is Pongo abelii while the scientific name for the Bornean orangutan is Pongo pygmaeus.
Size
The average male Bornean orangutans have a size of 0.97 meters which equals 3.2 feet; the females have a size of 0.78 meters which is the same as 2.6 feet while an average male Sumatran orangutan has a size of 1.37 meters which is the same as 4.5 feet; the average size of females 3.58 feet which is same as 1.09 meters.
Weight (Sumatran Orangutan vs Bornean Orangutan)
An average male Sumatran orangutan has a weight of 70 – 90 kilograms which is the same as 155 – 200 lbs, the females weigh about 90 – 110 lbs which equals 40 – 50 kilograms while an average male Bornean orangutan has a weight of 90 kilograms which is same 198 lbs, an average female weighs 50 kg 110 lbs.
However, when any of these species are kept in detention, they grow up to weigh far more than those in the wild; some of them in zoos weigh as twice much as their counterparts in the jungle. This is purely happening because their movements(jumping, walking, and roaming) are restricted as these activities burn up fats in their body system.
Also, they do not face food shortages, whether for short periods or long periods; which is quite different from the situations or conditions which their counterparts face in the forests(jungle).
Sumatran orangutans vs Bornean orangutans (Behaviours and Ecology)
Diet
The Sumatran orangutans compared their relations; the Bornean orangutans are more insectivorous and frugivorous; fruits like figs and jack fruits often serve as meals for them daily, they are known omnivores as they also feed on items like eggs; laid by birds, also they feed on small vertebrates and invertebrates and hardly feed on the inner back of plants.
While the diet of the Bornean orangutan is very diverse; as they are known to consume well over 400 different types of food; which includes plant leaves and seeds, especially figs and durians, they are also omnivores as they too eat insects and bird eggs, they also eat the inner bark of trees but they do this very rarely compared to the Sumatran orangutans.
Population
The Sumatran orangutan has a population of about 5000 living individuals left in the wild while the Bornean orangutans have a population of about 25,000 living individuals left in the wild; both of them have witnessed a percentage decrease of over 900 per cent each in the past hundred years.
Scientific Classification (Sumatran Orangutan vs Bornean Orangutan)
Sumatran Orangutan
- Common Name: Orangutan
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Primates
- Family: Pongidae
- Genus: Pongo
- Species: Pygmaeus
Bornean Orangutan
- Common Name: Orangutan
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Primates
- Family: Pongidae
- Genus: Pongo
- Species: Pygmaeus
Organizations Conserving the Orangutans (Sumatran Orangutan vs Bornean Orangutan)
Sumatran Orangutan
Many groups and organizations have been established in an attempt to save the Sumatran orangutans which are endemic to the northern part of Sumatra; these organizations work by clamping down on poachers, rescuing the orangutans from traffickers, rehabilitating them, and reintroducing them into their natural habitat.
The members of the host communities are also enlightened about the negative effects of allowing the species to go into extinction and also taught the most effective ways of helping to ensure the survival of the species, some of the organizations are listed below:
- Gunung Leuser National Park
- Sumatra World Heritage Cluster Site by UNESCO
- Bukit Lawang( animal santuary)
- Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park
- World Wide Fund for Nature
- Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program( SOCP)
- Sumatran Orangutan Society( SOS)
- Australian Orangutan Project
- World Wild Life (WWF)
- Orangutan Foundation
- International Animal Rescue
- Oran Utan Conservancy
- Orang Utan Republic
- Orangutan Outreach
Bornean Orangutan
Many groups and organizations have been established also with the vision of saving the Bornean; these organizations work by hunting down the poachers and traffickers, rescuing the orangutans from traffickers, rehabilitating them, and reintroducing them into their natural habitat.
The members of the host communities are also enlightened on the negative effects of allowing the species to go into extinction and also taught the most effective ways of helping to ensure the survival of the species; some of the organizations are listed below:
- Busch Gardens
- Bornean Orangutan Survival Foundation
- Australian Orangutan Project
- Save the Orangutan
- Orangutan Foundation
- Borneo Orangutan Survival
- World Wild Life( WWF)
- Orangutan Conservancy
- Orang Utan Republik
- International Animal Rescue
- World Wide Fund for Nature
- Center for Great Apes
- Orangutan Outreach
Fun Facts (Sumatran Orangutan vs Bornean Orangutan)
Bornean Orangutan
- Bornean orangutans take more time to become sexually mature than any other known living mammal in the world.
- Bornean orangutans, unlike most animals, can’t swim.
- They are known to use tools; like using large leaves to shelter themselves from rain and sometimes use large leaves as roofs for their shelters.
- These animals love travelling through the tree-tops by swinging and jumping from branch to branch even though they can walk upright for reasonable distances.
- They are not social and roam separately from one another only coming together to mate; which is something quite unusual compared to other apes.
Sumatran Orangutan
- They are endemic to the Sumatra island in Indonesia.
- They are the largest arboreal animals in the world.
- Despite their enormous sizes, they swing from one tree branch to another.
- They do not drink water as fruits make up 60 percent of their meals and provide for 100 percent of their water needs.
- They are also solitary.
- They have longer beards and are slightly smaller in comparison to the Bornean orangs.
Reasons Why Orangutans Are Endangered (Sumatran Orangutan vs Bornean Orangutan)
- Loss of their natural habitat due to deforestation by humans.
- Illegal poaching and logging because of the high demand for bushmeat and the demand from the animal trafficking market.
Conclusion
This article is currently the most comprehensive and educative article on Sumatran orangutan vs Bornean orangutan that can be found anywhere in the world. It has taken 4 weeks and 3 days for our researchers to gather every information in this article; as we try our best to give our best.
Recommendations
- Top 15 Endangered Species in the Philippines
. - Top 12 Most Endangered Animals in Africa
. - Top Facts about the Amur Leopard
. - Best Eco-friendly Waste Management Methods
. - Top 15 Best Nonprofit Organizations in Canada
