White-handed gibbon, lar gibbon
Hylobates lar

Adult gibbons

In addition to light buffy coloured and black animals, many different colour variants are known to exist in this species, like in H. agilis. Unless the provenience of the animal is known, their subspecies identification is often unreliable.

The long fur of some gibbons suggests a tentative identification as H. lar carpenteri (as indicated in the figure legends). Black fur appears to occur only north of the Isthmus of Kra, suggesting that black individuals are either H. lar carpenteri (long fur) or H. lar entelloides (short fur). Because brown or dark brown individuals are more common south of the Isthmus of Kra, they are more likely to be H. lar lar or H. lar vestitus, but this is pure speculation.

Adult female "Priscilla" (with infant, born on 13 July 1988), Metro Zoo, Miami, U.S.A., 31 July 1988. Very pale variant. Very long fur: H. lar cf. carpenteri.	Adult male "Claus", Kinderzoo Rapperswil, Switzerland, 17 June 1981.	Adult male "Claus", Kinderzoo Rapperswil, Switzerland, 17 June 1981. Singing.
Adult male "Jimmy", Zoo Al Maglio, Magliaso, Switzerland, 14 Sept. 1981. Yawning.	Adult male "Shiromartie", Kyoto City Zoo, Kyoto, 23 Aug. 2008.
Adult male "Pupuce", Zoo Mulhouse, France, 14 Sept. 1988. Very short fur and a contrasting, treefoil-shaped face ring distinguish this individual.	Adult female "Anvers", Zoo Mulhouse, France, 14 Sept. 1988.
Adult female, Zoo Seeteufel, Studen, Switzerland, 4 Sept. 1981. A very big female with long temporal tufts, similar to B. hoolock. Light brown variant.	Adult male "Filippo", Ponzano Romano, Rome, Italy, 6 Oct. 2006.	Adult male "Filippo", Ponzano Romano, Rome, Italy, 25 May 2008.
Adult female "Mocha", Ueno Zoo, Tokyo, Japan, 31 Aug. 2008.	Adult female "Mocha", Ueno Zoo, Tokyo, Japan, 2 Sept. 2008.
Adult female "Solar", Yerkes Primate Center, Atlanta, U.S.A., 7 Aug. 1988. Honey-brown variant.	Adult female "Jennifer", Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Japan, 22 Aug. 2008.	Adult female "Lissy", Rheine Zoo, Germany, 6 May 2006.
Adult female "Siri", Parco Piano dell'Abatino nr. Rome, Italy, 24 May 2008. Blackish brown variant. H. lar cf. entelloides.	Adult male "Vo", Southport Zoo, England, 10 Oct. 1988.	Adult female "Susie", pet, Lachen-Walzenhausen, Switzerland, 5 July 1981. Black variant. Very long fur: H. lar cf. carpenteri.
Adult female "Mimi", Kinderzoo Rapperswil, Switzerland, 1 May 1982. Estimated age 19 years. Black variant. H. lar cf. entelloides.	Adult female "Cromartie", Kyoto City Zoo, Kyoto, 23 Aug. 2008.	Adult male "Napo", Ueno Zoo, Tokyo, Japan, 31 Aug. 2008. This gibbon is not black, but dark grey.
Adult female "Missy", Southport Zoo, England, 10 Oct. 1988. Dark brown variant. Relatively old animal, at least 20 years old.	Adult female "Penny", IPPL (International Primate Protection League), Summerville SC, USA, March 2005. Photo: Shirley McGreal. Brown variant. The light face ring can disappear in older female white-handed gibbons. The female on this photograph is believed to be about 50 years old. Her face ring is almost completely absent, with only a few white hairs remaining on the chin.

Immature gibbons

Infant, born on 13 July 1988, with mother "Priscilla", Metro Zoo, Miami, U.S.A., 31 July 1988. The face ring of the infant is not very contrasting.	Infant, Duisburg Zoo, Germany, 2 March 1988. Young animals often have broader face rings than adult ones. Brown variant.
Infant female "Lilly", born on 8 June 2004, Rheine Zoo, Germany, 6 May 2006.	Juvenile male, born on 8 April 1986, Yerkes Primate Center, Atlanta, U.S.A., 5 Aug. 1988.	Juvenile, Bronx Zoo, New York, U.S.A., 18 Aug. 1988. This young animal has a particularly broad face ring. Black variant. Very long fur: H. lar cf. carpenteri.
Juvenile female "Chantek", born on 6 Oct. 1986, Southport Zoo, England, 10 Oct. 1988. Black variant.	Subadult female "Lud", about 5 years old, Zoo Al Maglio, Magliaso, Switzerland, 14 Sept. 1981. Brown variant.	Subadult male "Bobby", Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Japan, 22 Aug. 2008.