Hainan black crested gibbon
| Hainan gibbon | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Hylobatidae |
| Genus: | Nomascus |
| Species: | N. hainanus |
| Binomial name | |
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Nomascus hainanus (Thomas, 1892) |
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| Hainan gibbon range | |
The Hainan black-crested gibbon or Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus), is a species of gibbon found only on Hainan Island, China. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the eastern black crested gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) from Hòa Bình and Cao Bằng provinces of Vietnam and Jingxi County in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Molecular data, like morphology and call differences, suggest it is a separate species. Its habitat consists of broad-leaved forests and semideciduous monsoon forests. It feeds on ripe, sugar-rich fruit, such as figs (Ficus spp.) and, at times, leaves, and insects.
Hainan black-crested gibbons are under grave threat of extinction. They are currently identified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Historically, they were widespread in China: Government records dating back to the 17th century state that their range used to cover half of China. The gibbon population on Hainan Island has decreased precipitously over the last half century. While in the 1950s, more than 2,000 gibbons were found over the entirety of Hainan Island, a study in 2003 found 13 total gibbons split into two groups and two lone males, and in 2004 only 12-19 Hainan gibbons were found exclusively in the Bawangling National Nature Reserve. The most recent count found 22 Hainan gibbons split between two families, one of 11 and one of seven members, with four loners, all residing in Bawangling National Nature Reserve on Hainan Island. Habitat loss is the primary cause in the decline of the Hainan gibbon; poaching has also been a problem. Over 25% of the Hainan gibbon’s habitat has been reduced due to illegal pulp paper plantation growers. Originally denizens of lowland forest, logging has driven them to less suitable habitat at higher altitudes. The species is currently vulnerable to being eliminated by a single major storm or epidemic.
Sexual dichromatism is distinct in the Hainan gibbon. The males are all almost completely black, with sometimes white or buff cheeks. Females, conversely, are a golden or buff color with black patches, including a streak of black on the head. Both males and females are slender, with long arms and legs and no tail. The arms are used to swing from tree to tree, which is known as brachiation. The Hainan gibbon sings duets for bonding and mating.
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