Bornean orangutan

Pongo pygmaeus · The Bornean orangutan is a reddish-coated great ape that lives only on the island of Borneo.

Bornean orangutan
Photo: Ridwan0810, CC BY-SA 4.0
Bornean orangutan
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0
Bornean orangutan
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderPrimates
FamilyHominidae
GenusPongo
SpeciesPongo pygmaeus

Where it lives

Lowland rainforests of Borneo.

Fun facts

  • Bornean orangutans build nests to sleep in, and some even have a shady or waterproof roof, a pillow and a blanket made of leaves and branches.
  • Young orangutans learn how to build nests by watching their mothers.
  • Orangutans use tools, including a leafy branch as a bee swatter, a stick as a backscratcher, and a bunch of leafy branches as an umbrella in the rain.
  • The Bornean orangutan eats over 400 types of food, from wild figs and honey to fungi, bird eggs and spider webs.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).