The largest living primates: great apes of the tropical forests of equatorial Africa, living in troops led by a silverback male. There are two species, the eastern and the western gorilla.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?Can be
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAfrica
HabitatRainforest, Forest, Mountains
ColoursBlack, Silver
SizeLarge
Height1.25–1.8 m, depending on species and sex
Weight68–227 kg, depending on species and sex
Legs2
Covered inFur
Lives introops
Lives for35–40 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Tropical forests of equatorial Africa, from lowland swamps at sea level to mountain cloud forest at up to 4,300 m.
- What it eats
- Mostly leaves, stems, pith and shoots, plus fruit where it’s available. Gorillas rarely drink, since their food is almost half water.
- Conservation
- Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
Builds a fresh nest to sleep in every single night.
A gorilla’s DNA is 96–99% the same as a human’s, depending on what is counted.
Often confused with
- Chimpanzee
A chimpanzee is far smaller and lighter, at 26–70 kg, and much less robustly built.
Sources
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Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
