Brachiation (from "brachium", Latin for "arm"), or
arm swinging, is a form of
arboreal locomotion in which
primates swing from tree limb to tree limb using only their arms. During brachiation, the body is alternately supported under each forelimb. This form of locomotion is the primary means of locomotion for the small
gibbons and
siamangs of southeast Asia. Some New World monkeys such as spider monkeys and muriquis are
semibrachiators and move through the trees with a combination of leaping and brachiation. Some New World species also practice
suspensory behaviors by using their
prehensile tail, which acts as a fifth grasping hand.