Amazing Facts About Gorilla

The ground inhabitant and vegetarian (mostly) ape, gorilla, having several similarities with humans is one of the most calm and peace loving animals on the earth. These similarities, nearly 97% similar in DNA cells to that of humans’, make gorilla next closest relatives of our race after bonobo and chimpanzee. It’s the reason why life of a gorilla is a popular subject among researchers and has often resulted in startling discoveries about the species. Earlier, gorilla was assumed to have single species. But, in the more recent past, researchers have come to a common conclusion that there are two major species: western and eastern. This rare and threatened species however, has its very own story of adventure and expedition, and have been portrayed in many versions of King Kong (movie) as the beast struck down by beauty. Various facts about this primate are compiled in the coming sections. Have a read and enhance your knowledge about gorillas.

Fast Facts

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Type Species: Troglodytes gorilla
Species: Gorilla gorilla (Western Lowland andCrossRiver), Gorilla beringei (Eastern Lowland and Mountains)
Family: Hominidae
Subfamily: Homininae
Tribe: Gorillini
Genus: Gorilla
Weight: 350 to 600 Pounds (adult male), 150 to 300 Pounds (adult female)
Height: 1.65 metres to 1.75 metres (adult males), nearly 1.4 metres (adult females)
Diet: Mostly herbivorous (eastern lowland gorilla are known to eat ants)
Lifespan: 35 to 40 years in wild, up to 50 years in captivity
Range: Central Africa, Virunga Volcanoes,Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central Western African countries
Habitat: Tropical & sub-tropical forests, dense forests, lowlands swamps and marshes
Age of Sexual Maturity: 6 to 8 years
Gestation Period: 8 1/2 months, 209-251 days
Number of Offspring: One

Interesting & Fun Facts About Gorilla

• Gorilla has taken its name from the Greek word Gorillai which refers to ‘a tribe of hairy women’.
• Gorillas are the largest of all primates.
• Contrary to their built: strong, comprising of large canine teeth and muscular arms extendable to 8 feet, they are very calm and sociable animals.
• They are shy vegetarians living on fruits, leaves, shoots, stalks, stem, vines and barks. Although some eastern lowland gorillas are known to eat ants and other small insects.
• Eastern gorilla is darker than the western gorilla with the subspecies mountain gorilla being the darkest among all.
• Mountain gorilla is the hairiest among all species. However, hands, feet and face of any gorilla are hair-free.
• After spending a night in its nest, made of tree branches and leaves, gorilla spends its day searching for food in the jungle and taking rest at intermittent intervals. At dusk, it begins to make its nest again at some other place to spend the night.
• The calm and quiet gorillas are fond of sleeping. They take nearly 13 hours of sleep each night and also for several hours in mid-day, in between hunting for food and making their nest.
• Though gorillas are well capable of climbing, their favourite rest place is ground.
• Gorillas do not have the ability to swim but they make their way into swamps to eat aquatic food.
• The skull of a male gorilla forms a bony ridge as it reaches the age of maturity. This changes its head into a dome-shaped one.
• The front legs, called arms of gorillas are nearly 20% longer than their legs. Generally gorillas walk on their four feet on their knuckles, known as ‘knuckle-walking’. But sometimes they also bipedal when carrying food or trying to defend themselves.
• Gorillas converse with other mate gorillas by grunting, hooting and coughing. They also beat their chest with cupped hands when expressing something.
• Having almost identical DNA like humans (around 96%-98%), they do communicate with their facial expressions and bodily postures as human beings do.
• As intelligent animals, they are often seen to display their feelings of love, hate, fear, grief, joy, greed, generosity, pride, jealousy, shame and empathy.
• Unlike humans, they do not cry with tears but produce sound when cry.
• Gorillas generally prefer to live in family groups, with a male gorilla controlling the rest. This leading gorilla is known as ‘silverback’ as it has a large set of silver coloured hair on its back.
• These family groups comprise of a silverback (the leader of the group), some adult females and their offspring. Number of members in these groups ranges to at most 30 members a group.
• The ‘silverback’ or the leader or the group, is supposed to settle confrontation among other members and also holds responsibility of the safety of the group.
• Gorillas do not have a specific time for mating. Rather, they are capable of mating throughout the year. The female gorilla gives birth to one offspring at a time interval of every four years.
• A young gorilla attains maturity by the age of 6 to 8 years. By the age of 12, the silvery band of hair also grows on his back. Hence, the name – ‘silverback’.
• Gorillas efficiently serve the forest ecological system by dispersing seeds in rainforest. In case of many tree species, they are the only known dispersing agents.
• Amazingly, the strength of a single gorilla is equalsto the total strength of 4 to 8 men combined together.
• This rare animal is listed under the ‘endangered species’ category with only about 600 mountain gorillas alive on the earth.
• Pre-ice age gorillas used to dwell in central Africa. The upheaval of the period though, alienated them into three species: the western lowland gorilla, the eastern lowland and mountain gorilla.
• Gorillas are peaceful creatures and do not attack or harm others, unless offensively disturbed. Hunting activities for gorilla meat (bushmeat) and trophies (competitions held at some places in Africa) have made humans their foe.
• Gorillas have analytical skills which help them find solutions to different problems. For an instance, they can use a branch of tree to make way in muddy or watery region, and also use them as tools.