Orangutans’ color ranges from a bright orange to chocolate, differing significantly from other apes such as chimpanzees and gorillas. Orangutans tend to darken as they age, and female are often lighter than males. Moreover, Bornean orangutans are generally lighter than their cousins from Sumatra. While it is still unclear why orangutans exhibit such unique shades, it has been hypothesized that their orange fur could help them blend into their dark canopy environment, or play a role as a signal towards other individuals.
đź“·Photo & Video by Team SUAQ. Data & Pictures provided by the research teams of Universitas Nasional (UNAS), the Department of Anthropology at the University of ZĂĽrich (AIM), and the Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour (DECRG)