Skip to main content

Featured

Your Animal Questions Answered!

Ever wondered why dolphins jump out of the water, why cats knead or why bats sleep upside down? Well look no further as we have tackled some of the most common and slightly obscure questions about your favourite animal species to give you the answers you have been looking for! Why do giraffes have black tongues? A giraffes tongue (which is up to 21 inches in length) is thought to be black in colour to protect it from sunburn. Giraffes spend a large part of their day feeding in the hot African sun and it is thought that without the dark colouration, their tongues would be easily burnt! Why do fish have scales? The scales of fish are bony in structure and overlap one another to cover the whole body. These scales provide much needed protection for their soft bodies whilst also allowing them to move freely through the water! Amazingly, the rings on the scales of fish also actually indicate their age! Why do monkeys groom each other? At first glance you would ...

New Primate Species Discovered, The Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon

A Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon
A Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon, Copyright Sam Turvey

Scientists have confirmed that a species of hoolock gibbon that they have been studying for sometime in the forests of south west China is in fact a new species of primate not previously known to science.

Named as the Skywalker hoolock gibbon, these rare and elusive primates have been given the scientific name of Hoolock tianxing which when translated from Chinese characters means "Heaven’s movement". The gibbon has been named as such due to the scientists being fans of the Star Wars films.
 
A Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon
A Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon, Copyright Sam Turvey

Found in the mountainous forests at altitudes of over 2,500m in the Gaolingongshan nature reserve, the Skywalker hoolock gibbon is thought to be at risk of extinction with an estimated 200 individuals living in China. Although their exact range of population size is not yet known, they are thought to also be founding neighbouring Myanmar.
 
A Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon
A Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon, Copyright Sam Turvey

Having recommended the Skywalker hoolock gibbon be listed as an endangered species, the scientists involved in the research of these primates, are truly elated by the rare discovery of these new animals.

Most Viewed Articles