Gorillas live only in some tropical areas of Central Africa
Gorillas are the largest of all the great apes
Adult males may have a height of 1.7 metres and a weight of 135 – 220 kg in the wild
Adult females reach a height of 1.5 metres and a weight of 70 – 90 kg in the wild
Adults’ arms are 20% longer than legs; gorillas walk by using all four limbs, supported by the knuckles (“knuckle-walking”)
Gorillas’ skin and hair are black; they lack hair on the face, hands and feet
Silverback gorilla is a mature adult male with a patch of silver (grey) hair on his back
Gorillas are vegetarian; they eat fruits, leaves, shoots
Gorillas are important seed dispersers in the rainforest (they are the only known dispersing agents for some tree species); therefore, they play key ecological roles in their forest ecosystems (1)
They cannot swim but sometimes wade into swamps to feed on aquatic plants
Gorillas live in family groups of 6 to 30 individuals, which are led by one or two silverbacks; they are normally active during the day (diurnal)
A home range of each gorilla group is 2 – 40 km; but ranges of different groups may overlap
Gorillas build their own new nests every night using branches and foliage
They can use tools for problem-solving (for example, using a tree branch as a bridge to cross muddy ground)
Female gorillas give birth once every 4 years, normally to a single baby but occasionally to twins; the gestation period is 8.5 months
The repertoire of gorilla calls includes grunts, hoots, an alarm bark and the roar
The famous chest beating ritual is used for intimidating outsiders, communicating between the groups and maintaining the hierarchy within the group
In spite of all these physical expressions of emotion, gorillas are shy and un-aggressive unless improperly disturbed.
Main Reference:
Gorilla (2008). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved January 16, 2008 from Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037438
(1) Vedder, A. L., & Weber, W. (2000). Gorilla. In Endangered Animals: A Reference Guide to Conflicting Issues, Reading, R. P. & Miller, B. (Eds.), p. 131 . Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Retrieved January 25, 2008 from Questia.com
