Ape vs. Monkey - What’s the Difference?

2. Which Primate Species Swing Through the Jungle?

Monkeys climb trees and climb along branches - they don’t swing and hang. This is because they don’t have the physical build to do it. Their skeletons aren’t flexible enough at the shoulders. However, apes can hang from branches and like to use ropes to swing about. Think of orangutans and chimpanzees.

There are two exceptions. The first is the gorilla. It stays on the ground most of the time and doesn't hang from branches because he's too heavy for that. The second exception is the gibbon. It's not a great ape, but it swings. It is very closely related to the great apes.

Orangutan (Ape)

Orangutan - Photo: BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock

Baboon (Monkey)

Baboon - Photo: Hung Chung Chih/Shutterstock

• Table of Contents
• 0. Introduction
• 1. Size and Weight
• 2. Which Primates Can Swing?
• 3. Anatomy and Appearance
• 4. Which Primates Can Walk?
• 5. Which Primates Use Tools?
• 6. Summary