Pongo pygmaeus
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English: Orang-utan
German: Orang-utan
French: Orang-outan
Spanish: Orangutan
Distribution areas
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The orang-utan Pongo pygmaeus is found
only in the island of Borneo; the other
variety, which is very similar in body
shape, lives in Sumatra (Pongo pygmaes
abeli).
Description of the fur The cuticular structure
---------------------- of an intermediate hair, 1000x
The skin of this very rare animal is up
to 135 cm long; the avur span is up to 240 cm. The hair coat is red-brown in
colour. The undercoat is not distinguishable. The coarse hairs are up to 150
mm long.
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Pongo pygmaeus
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English: Orang-utan
German: Orang-utan
French: Orang-outan
Spanish: Orangutan
Structure of the hair
---------------------
The microscopic surface of the skin is
smooth or only slightly rippled and
disturbed. The hair follicles are narrow
and the edges are at the level of the skin
surface. The average follicle contains only
one hair shaft.
The cuticular structure
The fine fur fibres are circular in of a guard hair, 400x
cross-section, with a diameter of 25 to 38
µm. The cross-sectional outline of the hairs is circular, or elliptical. The
pattern of the cuticular scales is even, tile-like with a smooth scale
surface and straight edges. These fibres are not medullated.
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Pongo pygmaeus
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English: Orang-utan
German: Orang-utan
French: Orang-outan
Spanish: Orangutan
The intermediate fibres and the guard
hairs are similar in microscopic structure.
These are circular and elliptical in
cross-section and the diameter measures
between 40 and 80 µm. The cuticle is
covered by the even, tile-like, and in
upper parts the crenated, tile-like scales.
The scale surface is smooth and scale
margins are straight in the lower parts, or The cuticular structure
rippled in other parts, of the shaft. The of a guard hair, 1000x
medulla is narrow, unbroken and central
symmetrical-shaped in cross-section. The overall structure of the medulla is
of the non-regular type with the foam-like and amorphous type of the
infilling substance.
The guard hairs are longer and the diameter is from 80 to 125 µm. Other
structural features are the same as in intermediate fibres.
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Pongo pygmaeus
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English: Orang-utan
German: Orang-utan
French: Orang-outan
Spanish: Orangutan
Transverse section
of a guard hair, 1000x
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Pongo pygmaeus
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English: Orang-utan
German: Orang-utan
French: Orang-outan
Spanish: Orangutan
Longitudinal section
of a guard hair, 2000x
Numerical code for orang-utan skin structure
--------------------------------------------
Surface of the skin: 1-4-1
Fine fur fibres: 1.2-2-1-1-4-0-0-0-0-25.38-8.25
Intermediate fibres: 2.1-2.4-1-1.2-3-1-1-16-5.8-40.81-20.85
Guard hairs: 2.1-4.2-1-2-3-1-1-16-5.8-80.125-60.161
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