Introduction to Gorilla
Gorilla, the largest primate. There are three subspecies. The western lowland gorilla inhabits the rain forests of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the extreme southwestern Central African Republic, and extreme southeastern Nigeria. The eastern lowland gorilla inhabits the rain forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The mountain gorilla inhabits the Virunga Mountains on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
A large male gorilla stands nearly six feet (1.8 m) tall and may weigh 600 pounds (270 kg). Gorillas have heavy bodies, short legs, and long arms. Gorillas usually walk on all fours but frequently stand upright. The massive head has a heavily ridged brow, flattened nose, powerful jaws, and receding chin. Black skin covers face, hands, and feet. The hair is grayish on the chest. Females and young males have black hair on the back. Older males are called silverbacks because the back hair turns silver-gray at about age 12. Gorillas live up to 50 years.
Gorillas have heavy bodies, short legs, and long arms.Gorillas eat leaves, tree bark, roots, flowers, fruit, and grubs. They travel in family troops of 5 to 15 members. The female usually bears one young every three to four years, nine months after mating.
The gorilla is one of the most intelligent apes. Some domesticated gorillas have been taught to form sentences using American Sign Language or by pressing symbols on a computer keyboard. They have also been taught to drink from a cup, eat with utensils, and draw on paper.
Gorillas are endangered because of poaching (for their meat and skins), the reduction of their range from the clearing of land for farming, and the encroachment of tourists. Gorillas are protected by law in several African game refuges.
Facts in brief about gorillasGestation period: From 8 to 9 months.Number of newborn: 1.Length of life: Up to 50 years in captivity; in the wild, unknown.Where found: East-central and west Africa.Scientific classification: Gorillas belong to the anthropoid ape family, Pongidae. They are genus Gorilla, species G. gorilla.Are Gorillas the “Greatest” of the Great Apes?In terms of size, yes. Gorillas are the largest of the great apes. Gorillas have huge shoulders—nearly twice as wide as those of chimpanzees. Gorillas also have a broad chest, long arms, and short legs.
Not all gorillas look alike. Some differences include color and length of hair, size of jaw, shape of face, and length of arms. Because of these differences, scientists have divided gorillas into three varieties, or subspecies. They are the western lowland gorilla, the eastern lowland gorilla, and the mountain gorilla. As their names suggest, each lives in a different area of Africa.
Are Gorillas As Fierce As They Look?When people think of a gorilla, they might think of a ferocious beast, beating its chest with its fists. Male gorillas sometimes behave this way when they want to show their strength. But acting like this actually helps them end or even avoid a conflict with another gorilla. The gorilla that looks stronger often drives the other away without a fight.
Male gorillas do sometimes fight over territory or mates. But gorillas are mainly gentle animals that need companionship and attention. They are actually rather shy. A gorilla will not hurt a human being unless it is threatened or attacked.
How Do Gorillas Communicate?
Gorillas use a variety of sounds to communicate. They laugh; they purr to show they are contented or in agreement; they whimper or cry when saddened; they make a barking noise when they are annoyed; and they scream when angered. They can also hoot loudly enough to be heard at least 1⁄2 mile (0.8 kilometer) away. Beating their chest and baring their teeth are also ways of communicating. So is branch waving or tree shaking.
Gorillas in captivity have been taught to communicate with humans using sign language. In 1972, researchers at Stanford University in California began to teach sign language to a female gorilla named Koko. Koko learned to sign more than 800 words and to understand several thousand words of spoken English. Scientists have learned that even zoo gorillas that have never seen sign language are able to use sophisticated gestures to communicate.
What Does a Gorilla Do All Day?A gorilla’s average day is what some people would call ideal. A gorilla has a morning meal, takes a nap, and travels in the afternoon. Most of a gorilla’s daylight hours are spent feeding or resting. As sunset approaches, a gorilla prepares for bedtime by making a nest.
Some gorillas build their nests on the ground. Others build them in trees. A gorilla’s nest is simple. It is made up of whatever leaves, grasses, and branches are nearby. A nest is not woven or layered, and it can be built in as little as two or three minutes. A nest is used only one time, because gorillas sleep in a different place every night. They are always on the move.
Adult gorillas climb trees only to reach fruit or leaves, to get a better view of something, or to sleep at night. Young gorillas climb more often than adults do. They play by climbing or swinging on branches and vines. They wrestle with one another, too.
What Do Gorillas Eat?
You wouldn’t want to share a gorilla’s dinner. Unless, of course, you like the taste of baby insects called grubs. Gorillas also eat leaves, bark, shoots, stems, roots, flowers, and fruit. Some gorillas also eat adult insects, such as termites.
The choice of foods varies, depending on the gorillas’ habitat. Mountain gorillas eat bamboo and herbs that they find near the ground, and lowland gorillas climb to find ripe fruit.
Most of the regular plant life in a gorilla’s habitat is a poor source of nutrients and calories, which the animal needs to grow and stay healthy. For this reason, a gorilla will even eat soil if it contains needed minerals.
Gorillas eat leaves, tree bark, roots, flowers, fruit, and grubs.What Is Family Life Like for a Gorilla?Gorillas travel through the forest in groups called troops. Each troop can have between 2 and 34 members. Troops may have one or more males, two or more females, and several young gorillas.
An adult male always leads the troop. He makes all the decisions, such as when to get up in the morning, where to go, and when to rest. This male also protects the troop against danger. The fur on the back of this adult male is silver. He is called a silverback.
The other males in a troop sometimes leave and wander alone. A new or enlarged troop forms when one or more females leave the troop of their birth to join another troop or a lone male.
Each troop wanders around in its own home range, which is from 2 to 15 square miles (5 to 39 square kilometers) in area. Several troops may live in the same area of a forest, but they usually avoid one another.
What Are Infant Gorillas Like?When they are born, infant gorillas are at about the same level of physical development as human newborns. They are weak and uncoordinated, and their senses are not sharp. However, gorillas develop much more rapidly than humans do. Baby gorillas can eat solid food, sit up, and crawl sooner than human infants can. By 5 months of age, gorillas can walk.
Very small infant gorillas are carried near their mother’s chest. As it grows and becomes heavier, a baby spends more time riding “piggyback” on the adult’s back.
Gorilla births do not occur very frequently in any family group. So when an infant is born, both male and female adult gorillas of all ages are very interested in the new arrival. When the group is resting, the young continue to play and may climb over sleeping adults.
Gorillas belong to the family Pongidae. The western lowland gorilla is Gorilla gorilla gorilla; eastern, G. g. graueri; mountain, G. g. beringei.