About Apes

Apes are primates. Primates are mammals that share the following characteristics:

• hair instead of fur
• fingernails instead of claws
• opposable thumbs
• higher brain-to-body size ratio, high level of intelligence
• prehensility (ability to grasp with fingers and/or toes)
• padded digits with fingerprints
• binocular vision i.e. both eyes focus on one object (depth perception)
• reduced olfactory sense and dependent on vision more than smell

People often confuse apes and monkeys. Although there are a number of differences between apes and monkeys (apes have a longer lifespan, larger body size, larger brain-to-body size ratio, and higher intelligence); the main difference is that monkeys have tails and apes do not have tails.

The difference between great apes and lesser apes is general size. There are two types of lesser apes: gibbons (SE Asia) and siamangs (SE Asia). There are four types of great apes: gorillas (Africa), bonobos (Africa), orangutans (SE Asia), and chimpanzees (Africa).