ape,
any of several related primates distinguished by their complex brains and hence intelligence, their large size, and their lack of tails. They are mainly vegetarian but, except for the gorilla, occasionally eat small animals.The gibbons, of Southeast Asia, show great skill in brachiation; that is, they swing and leap rapidly through trees on their long arms, using their hands as hooks. On the ground, they often balance themselves with their arms and walk upright. The more advanced orangutan, in Sumatra and Borneo, is also arboreal but slower moving and much larger.The social unit of the orangutan consists of one or two females with young; the males join them only for mating.
The chimpanzee and the massive gorilla—the largest of all primates—are found in Africa. Both also climb trees, especially to nest at night, but are much more terrestrial than Asian apes. The chimpanzee lives in fairly large, loosely knit groups in which smaller units form and reform, whereas the gorilla lives in family units.
The orangutan, chimpanzee, and gorilla, collectively known as the great apes, can walk upright but commonly travel on all fours, with knuckles of the hands touching the ground. They have the greatest intelligence of animals other than humans and can use simple tools.