Guide Note

The largest of the living primates, gorillas are are ground-dwelling omnivores that inhabit the forests of Africa from the western lowlands near the Cameroon coast to an altitude of about 10,000 feet in the central highlands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

There is some disagreement toward how many species and subspecies of gorilla exist, partly because they are rare and elusive, which makes them difficult to study.

Fast Facts

Life span: 35-40 years in the wild, up to 50 years in captivity
Weight: 220-440 pounds
Height: 4'7"-5'9"
DNA is 97% identical to humans
Have black or dark brown hair and no tails

Behavior

Gorillas live in social groups of about five to fifteen individuals, consisting of a dominant male, known as the silverback, who presides over the females and their young.

Although generally peaceful and shy, male gorillas can become aggressive when their dominance is challenged and will often kill all the babies in a group that they did not sire.

Gorillas are mainly vegetarian, subsisting on a diet of various leaves, roots and fruit, although they will eat small animals if given the chance.

Related Pages on Mahalo

Dead Gorilla Baby | Africa | Monkeys | Chimpanzee | Orangutan

Categories

Science | Animals | Mammals

View Note History

Gorillas

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Gorilla
Sea World: Gorillas
Smithsonian: Gorilla Facts
University of Wisconsin: Gorilla
African Wildlife Federation: Mountain Gorilla
Animal Diversity: Western Lowland Gorilla
YouTube Video: Gorilla vs. Gorilla (Time: 2:58)

Gorillas News and Articles

Google News: Gorillas Search Results
The Independent: Mourned after being rejected... (August 19, 2008)
Guardian UK: Spanish parliament approves 'human rights' for apes (June 26, 2008)
National Geographic: Baby Gorilla Found Alive After Mass "Execution" in Congo (2007)
BBC: Wild Gorillas Seen To Use Tools (2005)
Smithsonian: One-Quarter of All Primates Threatened With Extinction (2005)
The Sydney Morning Herald: Rangers Battle Odds To Save Rare Gorillas (2007)
ABC News: Gentle Gorillas Facing Extinction (2007)
MSNBC: Rare Gorilla Birth Recorded in Congo (2007)

Gorillas Background and Behavior

San Diego Zoo: Animal Bytes - Gorilla
Exploring the Environment: Mountain Gorillas
Sea World: Gorillas Behavior
Out To Africa: Mountain Gorilla Behavior
Smithsonian: What Primates Think
Gorilla Haven: Famous Gorillas

Gorillas and Humans

ArkAnimals.com: Binti the Gorilla
BBC: Space Age Plan To Save Gorillas (2001)
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: The Basics of Gorilla Hand-Rearing

Gorillas Fun Stuff

Gorillas.org: The Great Gorilla Run
YouTube: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew Gorilla Detector (Time: 1:14)
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund: Free Gorilla e-Cards, Quizzes, Sounds
PBS: Learn Sign Language With Koko
Costume Craze: Adult Gorilla Animal Costume

Gorillas Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: Gorillas
Yahoo! Image Search: Gorillas
YouTube & Google Video Search: Gorilla
MetaCafe: Little Boy Falls Into A Gorilla Enclosure (Time: 3:40)
YouTube: Gorilla vs. Gorilla (Time: 2:58)
YouTube: Gorilla Family Playing at the Little Rock Zoo (Time: 5:03)

Gorillas Blogs and Forums

Google Blog Search: Gorilla
Good News Amidst Gorilla Tragedy
BlogSpot: Monkeys In The News
Southern California Primate Research Forum

Gorillas-Related Organizations

Gorillas Books and Related Merchandise

Barnes & Noble: Gorillas in the Mist
eBay: Gorilla Merchandise
Amazon.com: Gorilla Books and Toys & Games
CafePress.com: Gorilla Merchandise

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