Home range use by Kloss gibbons (Hylobates klossii) on Siberut Island,Indonesia

A home range is a reservoir of resources which are distributed throughout its area and joined by pathways. These resources are used for different activities and at different times of day and while ‘space-time systems’ have been described for a few terrestrial mammals, no previous study has attempted a similar analysis for an arboreal mammal. Kloss gibbons were studied for two years on Siberut Island, Indonesia, and one group was habituated to an observer. The ranging patterns of this group are analysed in two, three and four dimensions with respect to the types of forest in which the animals lived. Finally, differences between the results of this and previous studies of Kloss gibbons are discussed and it is suggested that a home range can be more permanent than the animals within it.