Lemurs, apes and monkeys, along with humans, belong to the group of mammals known as primates. Most primates are good tree-climbers. They have forward-facing eyes and large brains. Most monkeys live in trees, although some come down to feed or travel, and some, like baboons, live on the ground all the time. All apes have long arms, no tails and can walk upright on two legs for a while. Chimpanzees, orang-utans and gorillas are the great apes. They make “nests” to sleep in at night. They have strong fingers for grasping or carrying out precise tasks. They are the closest relatives to humans. They are able to use tools, solve problems and learn quickly.

Chimpanzee

The chimpanzees and its close relative the bonobo are humans’ closest relatives. Chimps live in African rainforests and woodlands. They spend most of their time on the ground, but sleep in the trees at night. They eat fruits, nuts and insects. Sometimes they prey on other animals, such as monkeys and deer. Chimps live together in groups and defend their territory against other groups. Grooming one another helps to strengthen bonds between the chimps. Highly intelligent, they use sticks and stones as tools.

Gibbons

The gibbons are the lesser apes. All kinds of gibbon, including the siamang, live in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. They live in the trees, moving each powerful arm in turn to swing their bodies along at high speed from tree to tree. They have no tail to help them like many monkeys do. They feed mostly on fruit.

Gorillas

Gorillas are great apes from the rainforests of Central Africa. Some inhabit the mountains, others the lowlands. They feed on leaves, fruits and shoots. Gorillas live in small groups called troops. Each contains one male, known as a silverback, several females and their young. A silverback threatens his rivals by standing upright, roaring and beating his chest. He will fiercely defend the troop from any attackers.

Lemurs and relatives

Lemurs, tarsiers, bushbabies, lorises and pottos are all prosimians, another group of primates. Most prosimians are long-tailed tree-dwellers. They feed on fruit, insects or leaves, but some kinds will also catch lizards, birds or bats. Bushbabies (also called galagos), lorises and tarsiers are nocturnal. They have huge eyes to help them see at night. There are about 100 kinds of lemur, all of which live only on the island of Madagascar.

Monkeys

Most (but not all) monkeys have long tails. Their toes and fingers have nails instead of claws. They use them to grasp things and pick up food. All monkeys have forward-facing eyes, giving them sharp vision.

Most monkeys live in trees although some kinds come down to the ground to feed. They eat fruit, leaves, insects and other small creatures. When in the trees, monkeys leap or swing from branch to branch. Most New World monkeys, including spider, squirrel and howler monkeys, have prehensile tails. These are tails that act like an extra limb. They are used to grasp branches. Baboons live on the ground all the time, and sometimes prey on young gazelles.

Orang-utan

The orang-utan lives in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. It has very long arms, black skin and red hair. Orang-utans live alone. They spend nearly all of their time in the trees in search of their favourite food, the durian fruit. They will also eat bark, honey, eggs and insects. The orang-utan’s hands have long fingers and short thumbs. It uses them to grasp branches as it swings from tree to tree. Males are much larger and heavier than females.