Orangutan Facts

 

Learn more about orangutans, including how and where they live.

Here are some basic facts about this wonderful animal:

  • Class: Mammalia
  • Order: Primates
  • Super family: Hominoidea
  • Family: Pongidae
  • Genus: Pongo
  • Species: abelii (Sumatran-north of Lake Toba), tapanuliensis (Sumatran-south of Lake Toba), and pygmaeus (Bornean)
  • Number of chromosomes: 48
  • Genetic similarity with humans: 97%
  • Length: males - about 40 inches from top of head to rump; females - about 30 inches
  • Weight: males - 110 to 300 pounds; females - 66 to 110 pounds
  • Life Span: 60 years or more
  • Gestation: about 8.5 months
  • Number of Young at Birth: usually 1, very rarely 2 (in captivity)
  • Size at Birth: 3.3 to 4.5 pounds
  • Interbirth Interval: 8-9 years (in the wild)
  • Age of Maturity: males - about 15 years; females - about 12 (in captivity)
  • Conservation Status: All orangutans are critically endangered

More Information

For more information about orangutans, see Species Information and Orangutan Specifics.