Greg Scott, age 8, of Annapolis, Md., for his question:

WHICH APE IS THE SMALLEST?

Smallest of all the apes is the gibbon. Other members of the ape family include the chimpanzee, gorilla and orangutan.

The gibbon ranges over a wider area than other members of the ape group. The gibbon lives in the forests of the Indian state of Assam, and also in Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

There are several kinds of gibbons. All have long arms but no tails. A gibbon weighs about 15 pounds and stands about three feet high.

The animal ranges from black to pale brown in color.

Gibbons travel through the tops of trees in small groups, eating fruits and leaves. A group usually consists of a male, a female and one or two young.

Gibbons use only their arms to swing from branch to branch. They do not use their legs.