Mammal
Gorilla
The largest living primate
Species group · 13 profiles
Primates
Thirteen primate profiles — apes, monkeys and lemurs. Gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan, aye-aye and more.
Quick answer
Primates are mammals with grasping hands or feet, forward-facing eyes and relatively large brains for body size. The order includes lemurs, tarsiers, monkeys and apes — and humans sit inside it as well. This guide profiles thirteen non-human species: gorilla, mountain gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan, gibbon, baboon, mandrill, capuchin, howler monkey, proboscis monkey, ring-tailed lemur, tarsier and aye-aye. Body mass spans roughly 100 g (3.5 oz) in tarsiers to over 200 kg (440 lb) in large male gorillas. Arboreal and terrestrial habits vary by lineage across tropical continents. Each profile covers social system, diet, geographic range, locomotion and IUCN conservation status.
Primates in this guide
Mammal
Mountain Gorilla
The gentle giant of Rwanda's volcanoes
Mammal
Chimpanzee
Our closest living relative
Mammal
Orangutan
The great ape of the Southeast Asian rainforest
Mammal
White-handed Gibbon
The singing ape of the canopy
Mammal
Olive Baboon
Africa's adaptable monkey
Mammal
Mandrill
The world's most colourful primate
Mammal
Capuchin Monkey
The clever New World monkey
Mammal
Howler Monkey
The loudest land animal in the Americas
Mammal
Proboscis Monkey
Borneo's big-nosed swimmer
Mammal
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Madagascar's striped-tailed, sun-bathing primate
Mammal
Philippine Tarsier
The wide-eyed nocturnal primate
Mammal
Aye-aye
Madagascar's nocturnal oddity
Telling them apart
Apes (including gibbons, great apes and humans) lack tails; most monkeys have tails used for balance or grasping. Old World and New World monkeys form separate lineages; lemurs are strepsirrhine primates of Madagascar, not monkeys. "Monkey" in casual speech often mislabels apes such as chimpanzees and gorillas. The cards below keep apes, monkeys and lemurs in one browseable set without collapsing those differences.
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Primates: common questions
What is the difference between apes and monkeys?
Apes lack tails and include gibbons plus the great apes (gorilla, chimpanzee, orangutan, humans). Most monkeys have tails and belong to Old World or New World lineages. Brain size, shoulder anatomy and locomotion patterns also differ. Everyday English often calls apes "monkeys"; the taxonomy does not.
Is a gorilla a monkey?
No. Gorillas are great apes — tailless African primates more closely related to chimpanzees and humans than to monkeys. Adult males can exceed 200 kg (440 lb). Mountain gorillas are a subspecies of the eastern gorilla, profiled separately here because search interest and conservation status differ.
Are lemurs monkeys?
No. Lemurs are strepsirrhine primates endemic to Madagascar, branching earlier than monkeys and apes on the primate tree. Ring-tailed lemurs are diurnal and highly social; aye-ayes are nocturnal foragers with an elongated middle finger. Both illustrate lemur diversity without belonging to monkey families.
What is the largest primate?
Gorillas are the largest living primates. Large silverback males commonly weigh 140–200 kg (310–440 lb) or more. Orangutans are the largest arboreal primates; chimpanzees are smaller but more widespread across tropical Africa. Humans are apes within the same order but are not listed in this grid.