Indonesia has their unique animals such as Orang Utan that you can only find them in Kalimantan and Sumatran forest. Their natural habitat comes from both provinces with the largest forest in Indonesia.
Most Orang Utan in Indonesia lives in the conservatory area to protect their existence as one of the unusual animals in Indonesia. Since there are so many unresponsible people that using Orang Utan for entertainment commodity, the Indonesian government keep their existences under the law.
Speaking of Indonesian Orang Utan, there are two types of Sumatran and Bornean Orang Utan. Let’s see some of the differences between them so that you can know them closely.
1. Scientific Name
Indonesian Orang Utan is coming with the same species as the Pongo familiar. As their habitat comes in a different province, so that makes they have a different scientific name.
Orang Utan that lives around Sumatran forest commonly calls as the Sumatran Orang Utan. They have a specific scientific name as the Pongo abelii.
Meanwhile, Orang Utan that lives around the Kalimantan forest calls as the Bornean Orang Utan, with three different names of the Pongo family. They are Pongo Pygmaeus Pygmaues, Pongo Pygmmaeus Morio, and Pongo Pygmaeus Wurmbii.
2. Face Shape
Commonly to knowing more about the differences between Bornean and Sumatran Orang Utan is recognizing their face shape. The basic type of their differences comes from their cheek as the unique part of one of the most endangered animals in Indonesia.
Bornean Orang Utan has a wider cheek comparing to Sumatran Orang Utan. Moreover, Bornean Orang Utan has a round shape, and Sumatran Orang Utan has an oval face shape. That makes their faces look longer than Bornean Orang Utan.
3. Skin Color
Both Bornean and Sumatran Orang-Utan have thick skin that covers by soft hair. Their hairs can grow longer and thicker, so that makes them look has a fluffy body. Their hair permanently grows over their skin for a long time.
Bornean and Sumatran Orang Utan are known to have specific differences in their skin color. For Bornean Orang Utan, their color is darker and thinner compared to the Sumatran Orang Utan.
Even though both Bornean and Sumatran Orang-Utan have a brown color, but the Sumatran has lighter colors. Moreover, their hair around the skin has a longer type comparing with the Bornean that has shorter hair.
4. Body Size
Both Bornean and Sumatran Orang-Utan have a typical different body sizes. Commonly Bornean Orang Utan has a bigger body than Sumatran Orang Utan. They have a big weight comparing to the Sumatran that has a smaller weight.
Commonly, Bornean Orang Utan can reach their weight up to 150 kg. Meanwhile, the Sumatran Orang Utan can only reach up to 90 kg of weight. Even so, they have a similar type of female Orang Utan that has almost a similar weight on each Pongo family.
5. Natural Habitat
Both Bornean and Sumatran Orang Utan have their natural habitat in a deep tropical forest. Even so, the Bornean has a type of living in a lower land forest with a warmer temperature.
Sumatran Orang Utan is commonly capable to live in some beautiful mountains in Indonesia and swamps forests as well. They are also capable of hanging at the tree and jump from one to another tree. They are rarely found living on the land as the tree becomes their safest place for them.
Their differences in the natural habitat make both Bornean and Sumatran Orang-Utan have different behavioral living, body size, face shape, and many more.
6. Food
Both Bornean and Sumatran Orangutan love to consume fruit as well. But, as their living habit has a different type of Sumatran and Bornean forest, their food consumption also different.
Bornean Orang Utan not only consumes fruit but also leaves, and bugs. Sumatran Orang Utan consuming fruit as well because the forest produces more fruits than the Bornean forest.
7. Behavioral Living
Both Bornean and Sumatran Orang-Utan have different types of behavioral living. That is because the landscape of those two forests has a different type of tropical forest as well.
Bornean Orang Utan commonly walking in the land and do socialize with others. They rarely found climb and hanging at the tree. That is because Kalimantan forest has a comfortable habitat for them as one of the beautiful places in Eastern Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Sumatran Orang Utan often hanging at the tree rather than walking in the land. The research found that this behavior was caused by the predator around the Sumatran forest that attacked them such as the Sumatran tiger. The tree becomes the safest place for them.
8. Conservatory State
Both populations of the Bornean and Sumatran Orang Utan drastically decreased from time to time. The long cycle of the birth rate of them becomes one of the reasons for their population.
That makes sense for the Indonesian government to protect them and provides the conservatory area. Commonly, the area should come from natural land such as a forest.
Both Sumatran and Bornean Orang Utan nowadays are living happily in the conservatory tropical forest of the Indonesian forest national park. Those forests are managed by the professional staff that expert to take care of Orang Utan.
Sumatran Orang Utan lately reported as a critically endangered state which should give more concerned. Meanwhile, Bornean Orang Utan was reported as an endangered state to the IUCN. Both Orang Utans should need more protection in the conservatory areas.
So, there are some of the differences between Bornean and Sumatran Orang Utans that you should know. Have you ever seen one of them? Which one becomes your favorite? The Bornean or the Sumatran?
