• The shoulder and wrist joints are very flexible, which aids brachiation.

The common gibbon exhibits a body height ranging from 17.8 centimeters to 4.5 meters, with a body length varying from 45 to 60 centimeters and a mass between 4.65 and 6.54 kilograms; the embryo stage is characterized by a body mass of 1 to 80 grams, while the infant stage shows a body mass ranging from 300 grams to 1.8 kilograms and a body length from 15 to 30 centimeters. During the rapid growth phase, the young have a body mass between 1.8 and 4.5 kilograms and a body length from 30 to 45 centimeters; the adult stage presents a body mass of 4.8 to 7.2 kilograms and a body length from 45 to 60 centimeters.