 the lar gibbon (hylobates lar), also known as the white-handed gibbon, is a primate in the gibbon family, hylobatidae. it is one of the better-known gibbons and is often seen in zoos. == taxonomy == there are five subspecies of lar gibbon: * malaysian lar gibbon, hylobates lar lar * carpenter's lar gibbon, h. l. carpenteri * central lar gibbon, h. l. entelloides * sumatran lar gibbon, h. l. vestitus * yunnan lar gibbon, h. l. yunnanensis (possibly extinct) == physical description ==  the fur coloring of the lar gibbon varies from black and dark-brown to light-brown, sandy colors. the hands and feet are white-colored, likewise a ring of white hair surrounds the black face. both males and females can be all color variants, and the sexes also hardly differ in size. gibbons are true brachiators, propelling themselves through the forest by swinging under the branches using their arms. reflecting this mode of locomotion, the white-handed gibbon has curved fingers, elongated hands, extremely long arms and relatively short legs, giving it an intermembral index of 129.7, one of the highest of the primates.rowe, noel. pictorial guide to the living primates. east hampton, n.y. : pogonias press, 1996. as with all apes, the number of caudal vertebrae has been reduced drastically, resulting in the loss of a functional tail. gibbons have tough, bony padding on their buttocks, known as the ischial callosities, or sitting pads. == distribution and habitat == lar gibbons have the greatest north-south range of any of the gibbon species. they are found in indonesia, laos, malaysia, myanmar and thailand. th
Animals_described_in_1771 Fauna_of_Sumatra Gibbons IUCN_Red_List_endangered_species Mammals_of_Burma Mammals_of_China Mammals_of_Indonesia Mammals_of_Laos Mammals_of_Malaysia Mammals_of_Thailand