What are the special characteristics of orangutan to survive in its habitat?

Answer 1

BEHAVIOROrangutans spend their lives in the tropical forest canopy 20 to 100 feet off the ground. It is assumed that one of the reasons for this, is because the tigers would be its main natural predator. However, with the tiger being extinct in Borneo, adult male orangutans will come down and spend up to about 5% of their time on the forest floor. Usually this is to move from one stand of trees to another. Sometimes orangutans, when on the ground, will go into the water (but not to swim).

Considering the large size of the orangutan, movement from one tree or branch to another is graceful and agile, yet slow. An orangutan seldom covers more than mile in a day (1 km). However they have a vast range in which they hunt for their food. Males may use several thousand hectares and females use several hundred. When moving on the ground they are slow and awkward appearing. Because of its arboreal lifestyle with little need to come down from the trees, the orangutan has never learned to knuckle-walk like the gorilla and chimpanzee, instead it fist walks. Staying high in the trees keeps them away from predators such as tigers and leopards.

Orangutans build two nests a day; a sparse one for a short nap and a stronger sleeping nest every night which is constructed from branches with leaves on them, 40 to 60 feet above the ground. The sleeping nest looks like a giant birds nest and on average, only takes about 5 minutes to construct. Babies and juveniles, up to about the age of 8, unless having become more independent earlier, will sleep with their mothers in her nest. Occasionally orangutans will sleep in an old nest. If it is rainy enough, they will fashion a cover to help keep them dry. It is not uncommon to see them holding a large palm frond over their head if it is raining hard.

Adult orangutans on the island of Borneo tend to be more solitary animals than those on Sumatra. They will forage and travel independent of one another and males tend to break ties with their mothers earlier than females. Social relationships are formed by individual orangutans that have regularly overlapping ranges. However that does not mean that there will be any actual social interaction between them when they meet. For example, if several orangutans (not adult males) are seeking out fruit at the same tree they will usually sit apart with little or no social interaction and will leave alone after eating.

Sumatran orangutans, on the other hand, behave more socially toward one another. Except for low-ranking adult males, they will travel together and occasionally bonds will form between low-ranking adult males, but usually male relationships are competitive. The higher degree of social interaction between Sumatran orangutans is a function of the fact that their habitat on Sumatra is more productive than that on Borneo. This productivity keeps the cost of traveling and eating together much lower and therefore the animals can benefit from the social benefits resulting from group life. Researchers point to tool using by Sumatran orangutans as a result of this group life-style.

Adult male orangutans will make a booming long call several times a day, that along with a number of possible functions, keeps subordinate males away. This call will carry over a mile through the dense forest. If by chance a subordinate male encounters an adult male, the subordinate male will be tolerated as long he keeps his distance. However if two adult males meet it will usually result in a violent and aggressive display or actual fight. Orangutans make a number of different vocalizations besides the long call. One of the most well known is the kiss squeak and grumph sound they will make when disturbed. Youngsters will whine when they need help from their mother is doing something. They also make a number of softer sounds to each other that are difficult for researchers to hear. Orangutan also break off weak branches and will throw them down to the ground when disturbed, an action that all field researchers are very familiar with.