CLASSIFICATION OF PONGO : ORANG-UTAN
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )
Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )
Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )
Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin).
Class :-MAMMALIA ( Body covered with hairs. females have mammary glands ).
Sub-class :- THERIA ( Viviparous ).
Infra class :- EUTHERIA ( Placental mammals, vagina single ).
Order :- PRIMATES( Head turns easily on neck ).
Sub-Order :- ANTHROPOIDEA (Eyes directed forwards ).
Genus : Pongo
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Jungles of Borneo and umatra and outside Central Africa, East Indies and West of Wallace line.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Arboreal, Fruigivorous.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF PONGO : ORANG-UTAN
- Commonly called as Orangoutan
- Body divisible into head, neck, trunk, tail and abdomen.
- Fore head high, ears small and hairs leg eyes are sunken.
- Nostrils large and lips bulding with mouth fore head.
- Face and palm naked. Cheek pouches particularly in older males. Males develop pouch-like throat swellings like goiters.
- Males stand 4.5 feet. Females much smaller. Weight nearly 400 pounds.
- Entire body except fingers face and toes covered by hairs.
- Arms exceptionally long.
- Legs relatively short.
- Fur reddish brown and getting darker in older males.
- Ribs 12 pairs and thoracic vertebrae 12, as in man.
Special features
Older males make load oars when disturbed. They swing from branch to branch. Gate clumsy and arms held over its head. Live singly or in pairs or in groups of four. Females give birth to a single individual after every 4 years. Gestation period 275 days. Young are suckled for 18 months. They mature in 10 years. Life span 25 years. Captive orang-utans become friendly.
Identification
Since the animal contains high forehead and all above features, hence it is Orang utans.
REFERENCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
- Source of images- Pixabay
