Though they might look a bit like monkeys, northern white-cheeked gibbons are officially classified as apes. One easy way to tell the difference is that, like chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, northern white-cheeked gibbons have no tail.

As babies, northern white-cheeked gibbons are typically tan in color but gradually turn darker as they age. Males eventually sport completely black coats, save for two large patches of white fur on their cheeks that resemble sideburns. Mature females tend to range from reddish to brown and even light cream and beige.

Like other gibbons, northern white-cheeked gibbons possess exceptionally long arms, which they use to swing through the treetops at high speed. Their arms are so long, the gibbons hold them over