Gorillas are the largest apes and primates in general. Along with chimpanzees and orangutans, they are the closest to humans. The gorilla genus includes two species - the eastern and western gorillas, which are very similar to each other.
Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).
The appearance of these animals inspires respect and even fear. Indeed, the height of gorillas can reach up to 1.8 m, and their weight can reach even more - up to 140-200 kg! Compared to a man of the same height, a gorilla looks much more impressive. The body of these animals is more square than elongated, the limbs are long and muscular at the same time, the palms and feet are wide. As a rule, all gorillas have large bellies due to large quantity gases in their intestines, the back is wide, sometimes slightly sagging. The jaws of these monkeys are powerful and protrude strongly forward. Characteristic of gorillas wide nostrils and close-set eyes. The color of the skin and fur of these animals is black; the cubs may have a brownish tint to their fur. In older male gorillas, the fur on the back becomes gray; this color indicates the animal's sexual maturity. In addition, males have a more powerful nape, emphasized by protruding hair on the top. However, these are the only characteristics that distinguish males from females - sexual dimorphism in this species of monkeys is weakly expressed. Gorilla fur is long and thick. At first glance, such fur disturbs animals in warm climates, but in fact, in the habitats of gorillas, the temperature at night can drop to +16 ° C and the fur helps them warm up.
A baby gorilla learns to beat its chest as a show of strength. His parents are watching his lesson (the male is on the left).
Both species of gorillas are found exclusively in Western and Central Africa. They inhabit wet equatorial forests on the plains and mountain slopes. Gorillas live in groups of 7-15 individuals. Each family consists of one adult male and several females with cubs and juveniles. Gorillas are sedentary animals; each family occupies a large area, which it walks around every few weeks. Like all apes, gorillas are active during the day, but at night they sleep in primitive nests made of branches that are not reused.
Due to their enormous weight, gorillas rarely climb trees; only small cubs like to climb vines or lower tree branches during play.
Animals spend most of their time searching for food, methodically walking around the territory in search of thickets of their favorite plants. Gorillas move on four limbs, using permanent paths. When walking, they rest on the ground with the back of their bent palm. This method of movement is characteristic of all apes.
Despite the impressive appearance Gorillas have a very calm nature. Usually animals chew their food phlegmatically, watching other members of the herd out of the corner of their eyes. The cubs behave more animatedly, play a lot, but their games are not noisy. The authority of the male in the family is unshakable, so if misunderstandings arise in the herd, it is often between the females. Having quarreled, they start screaming and even bite each other. But the leader does not tolerate such squabbles for long; with an instant throw he gives the grumpy wives a couple of blows and order reigns in the herd.
Real fights arise between males only if the young one claims the family of the old one, but even in this case they prefer to limit themselves to demonstrating a threat rather than using it. The fact is that gorillas have enormous muscular strength and during a fight they can cause severe injuries to each other, so the males organize “image” competitions. At the same time they rise to hind legs, beat their chests with their fists and scream loudly.
Gorillas are absolute vegetarians; they feed exclusively on plants, preferring leaves and stems. Fruits make up a smaller share of their diet. Due to such a low-calorie diet, these animals are forced to spend 40-60% of their daytime feeding. These monkeys rarely drink, as they get the necessary moisture from their food. Like orangutans, gorillas do not like water and try to hide under the dense canopy of trees when it rains.
Gorilla while feeding.
Gorillas breed all year round. Females mate only with the leader of the herd; the remaining males must first win leadership to continue the race. Pregnancy lasts 8.5 months.
A female gorilla gives birth to one, or less often, two cubs and shows touching care for them.
At first, the baby clings to the mother's fur, and she presses him to her chest; the grown baby climbs onto her back and the female carries him everywhere.
Despite the apparent inconvenience, babies, like this baby western lowland gorilla, feel completely at ease on their mothers' backs.
Grown-up cubs move independently, but accompany their mother for a long time (up to 5 years). Even after the young are completely separated, they go through a period of adolescence and gorillas finally become adults only at 10-12 years of age. Gorillas live 30-35 years in the wild; in captivity, life expectancy can reach 50-55 years.
baby gorilla younger age on his mother's stomach.
IN natural environment these monkeys have no enemies: their large size, strength and collective support make them invulnerable to other animals. In turn, gorillas do not show aggression towards their neighbors: they graze together with ungulates in forest clearings, and do not pay attention to smaller monkeys. Their only enemy is man, or rather, some poachers. Local residents initially did not hunt gorillas, but as the civilized world learned about gorillas, they became valuable exhibits in zoological collections. In this regard, a unique trade arose: adult gorillas are killed to cut off their paws, which are a kind of fashionable souvenir for the rich. The surviving cubs are resold to private zoos. A separate problem is represented by human infections that affect gorillas. Previously among local residents Diseases such as influenza, for example, were unknown; now tourists are carriers of viruses. Gorillas, who are not immune to influenza, are very susceptible to the disease. wildlife and often die. On top of all the problems, these animals suffer from constant habitat loss. Continuous deforestation and civil wars in the region where gorillas live led to the fact that they found themselves in a critical situation.
This baby gorilla was rescued from the hands of animal traffickers in the Congo. While the orphan is getting used to his new home, workers rehabilitation center wear masks so as not to infect the baby with human infections.
In captivity, these animals are quite well tamed if they are raised by humans from childhood. But handling gorillas requires understanding their psychology - they don't circus performers and are not intended for learning tricks. With a calm and respectful attitude, gorillas easily find mutual understanding with humans. A western lowland gorilla named Koko became the first animal to master human speech. True, due to the structural features of the vocal apparatus, the monkey cannot reproduce human sounds, but words are replaced by gestures. Over the 40 years of her life, Coco learned by ear about 2000 English words and mastered about 1000 sign words in the language of the deaf and dumb. With their help, she not only informs her caretakers about her immediate needs, but also expresses abstract concepts, complex feelings, and even jokes.
Throughout her life, Koko repeatedly told her guardians about her desire to have a cub. To alleviate her loneliness, she was allowed to adopt a kitten. After the accidental death of the first baby, Coco cried, in the photo is the second of her charges.
Order - Primates / Suborder - Dry-nosed monkeys / Infraorder - Apes / Parvoorder - Narrow-nosed monkeys / Superfamily - Great apes/ Family - Hominids / Genus - Gorillas
History of the study
The western gorilla (lat. Gorilla gorilla) is a species of primate from the genus Gorilla (Gorilla) of the family Hominidae.
Spreading
The western gorilla is distributed in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, mainland Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Congo, Angola, and probably the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
They live in lowland tropical forests, primarily with dense herbaceous vegetation and wetlands.
Appearance
The western gorilla is a large primate. In males, the body reaches a length of up to 1.7 m, and the weight can reach up to 160 kg. Females are always smaller - their body is no more than 1.4 m and weighs up to 80 kg. These gorillas are the smallest of the gorilla genus. The head is large, with small ears. The eyes are small. The body is massive, without a tail, covered with dark, almost black hair. There is no hair on the limbs, as well as the face and ears. Over time, the hair on your back begins to fall out. Wide palms end in thick fingers with strong nails. The skin is black throughout the gorilla's life. Gorillas move on all fours, although they often stand upright.
Reproduction
Pregnancy in a female gorilla lasts about 9 months. She can only give birth to one cub, which she carries on her back. Having matured, he begins to move with the group on his own, but his mother takes care of him until he is five years old. Western gorillas reach sexual maturity at 12 years of age. Average duration Their lifespan is about 34 years.
Lifestyle
Western gorillas live in groups of 2 to 20 individuals. The group includes at least one male and several females with offspring. The dominant male leads the group. The young leave her after reaching puberty.
Females move from one group to another during the breeding season.
The distance over which they move ranges from one to four kilometers. The habitat area is about 30 km², but gorillas do not actively defend it. They are able to use tools.
Nutrition
Western gorillas feed exclusively on plant foods. Although their diet mainly consists of fruits and fruits, gorillas also eat young succulent shoots, leaves and aquatic vegetation. Using simple tools - sticks, they dig out edible underground parts of plants. In search of food sources, they travel up to four kilometers every day through difficult terrain - swampy plains covered with thick grass and low-lying tropical forests. Western gorillas cannot swim. The area of territory occupied by one group of gorillas reaches 30 square meters. km.
Number
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists western gorillas as CR (critically endangered). Ebola hemorrhagic fever reduced their numbers in protected areas by one third between 1992 and 2007.
In the 1980s, the number of western gorillas in Equatorial Africa was approximately 100,000. Today, the population has declined to 50,000. Research conducted in 2006-2007 shows that about 100,000 unregistered western gorillas live in the wetland forests of Lake Tele, in the Republic of Congo. The most likely number of western gorillas is around 150,000-200,000 individuals.
The river gorillas have a population of approximately 280 individuals, concentrated in about 11 locations. Recent genetic studies suggest that these sites are associated with random migrations of individual gorillas. River gorillas are separated by 250 km from the range of the lowland gorilla. A conservation plan for this subspecies was developed in 2007. The Government of Cameroon has created specifically for these purposes national park on the borders with Nigeria. The park is home to about 115 river gorillas.
Western gorilla and man
Poaching, commercial logging and civil wars in the countries where gorillas live are also threats.
There are many feature films, in which in leading role huge fictional monkeys perform. It’s simply impossible to meet the real King Kong anywhere because he doesn’t really exist. But it is still really possible to see its prototype in nature or in some zoo.
Which ones are considered the largest in the world? Gorilla monkey – this is the most huge representative primates. They bear too much resemblance to. The structure and even some of the habits of these animals are very similar to those of humans. People first learned about them from the description of Thomas Savagemise, a missionary from America.
Features and habitat of the gorilla
IN real life options great ape gorilla much less than in science fiction films about her. The average height of this interesting animal is about two meters, and its weight sometimes reaches 270 kg. Males are always twice as large as females. Their wide back is what catches your eye the most. The shoulder width of the male reaches one meter.
Throughout the body photo of gorilla monkey the naked eye can see incredible strength and power. It is massive, has well-developed muscles, strong hands and powerful feet.
The width of a gorilla's shoulders can reach one meter
Gorillas have dark coats; adult males still have a silver stripe running across their entire back. The gorilla's brow ridges protrude noticeably.
The forelimbs are much longer than the hind limbs. This animal can easily move on hind limbs, but still prefers to walk on all fours. Gorillas walk relying on the backs of their fingers, so the inside of the animal’s palms is quite sensitive.
On big head The animal has a low forehead and a massive jaw protruding forward. The volume of a gorilla's brain is about 600 cubic centimeters. The animal has 48 chromosomes.
Species of Gorillas
Gorillas are divided into two species. Those who live in the plains rain forests Gabon, Cameroon and Congo are called lowland gorillas.
Those that live in the central regions of Africa in the Virunga mountain ranges are called montane. Mountain gorillas are different from lowland gorillas long hair, which they need in order to protect animals from severe mountain frosts.
Character and lifestyle of a gorilla
Gorilla monkey lives in groups consisting of 5-30 individuals. The main place in such a group the leader occupies the position, there are also a couple of males, females and babies. Gorillas are the most fearsome inhabitants of the forest, so they have no special ill-wishers or enemies.
Their food grows all over the forests, so they don't have to spend much time looking for food. In the first half of the day, primates prefer to sleep. After waking up, the animals walk through the tropics and rest.
For most gorillas, rest consists of sleeping, small primates play among themselves, while other animals search in each other's fur.
Afterwards they walk through the jungle again, while eating food. They continue this activity until dusk. As night approaches, the leader of the group begins to build a nest for himself out of branches.
Because of his heavy weight the leader often has to sleep on the ground
As a rule, it is always on the ground because the leader usually has a large mass. Other members of the friendly group climb trees and, having built nests for themselves there, fall asleep soundly in those places where night finds them.
These social animals are quite comfortable and natural in a group. Gorillas do not like bodies of water and try to avoid them. They also do not enjoy rainy weather.
Although the gorilla has a terrifying appearance, these animals are actually good-natured and peaceful, if you do not come into conflict with him. Their leader may perform a frightening dance in order to strengthen his authority and protect the group from the enemy, but this threat, as a rule, does not go beyond the dance.
Even when enraged, he most often refrains from attacking a person. If this happens, then these are small, insignificant bites.
Gorillas are friendly
The gorilla group is mostly calm. Scandals periodically occur between females, which quickly stop after small verbal altercations.
The leader at this time does not interfere in the quarrel between the “ladies”, but modestly watches all this from the side. Communication between all members of the group occurs at the level of the signaling system, which consists of facial expressions and sounds.
Gorilla food
The largest primates are vegetarians. The main food of gorillas are products of plant origin. Between play and rest gorilla monkey eating celery, nettle, bedstraw, bamboo shoots and pygeum fruits.
They dilute their main diet with nuts and fruits. Gorillas have very strong jaws, they easily chew tree roots, branches and wood. Sometimes, very rarely, insects can get into food.
Gorillas compensate for the lack of salt in the body with the help of certain types of clay. The size of the animals does not allow them to eat in the tree; to do this, they descend to the ground.
For a long time They can survive without water because the greens they eat contain enough moisture. In order to feel good, gorillas have to eat a lot of food. In essence, their entire day consists of them getting food, eating it, and sleeping.
Gorilla reproduction and lifespan
Childbearing age for female gorillas begins at 10 years, for males at 15-20 years. Childbirth occurs approximately once every four years. Pregnancy lasts 250-270 days. A small baby is born, weighing 1.5.
Pictured is a baby gorilla
He is absolutely helpless, unable to even crawl. Until 8 months, he feeds only on his mother's milk. Sometimes breast-feeding lasts up to 3 years. Children stay close to their parents for a long time. Gorillas live in the wild for up to 40 years. In captivity ten years longer.
What is the largest monkey in the world? Today, the genus of gorillas belongs to the family of hominids, which includes humans. At the very large monkey weight reaches 270 kilograms, and height 2 meters. And despite her terrifying appearance, she has a rather peaceful disposition.
This article will focus on this monkey. Where does a gorilla live in the wild? What does it eat?
Division of monkeys by habitat
Biologists divided monkeys into 2 large groups- These are monkeys of the Old and New Worlds. They mainly differ in their habitat and some physiological characteristics.
Thus, the first group of monkeys has narrower noses, while the second group has surprisingly prehensile tails. In addition, the Old World lives in Africa and Asia, and the monkeys of the New World live only in South and Central America. In Europe, in the southern part of Spain, lives the only kind monkeys - barbarian.
Gorilla: photo, description
Gorillas are the largest in the order of primates. The very first description of this animal was given in 1847 by missionary Thomas Savages from America.
The height of adult males can range from 1.65 to 2 meters. But, there is a statement by the famous Soviet zoologist I. Akimushkin that the height of one of the largest male mountain gorilla, who was killed by hunters at the beginning of the 20th century, was 2.32 meters.
The male's shoulders can reach one meter in width. The average weight of a male gorilla varies from 130 to 250 kg or more. And females have a body weight approximately 2 times less.
The body of gorillas, which have enormous strength, is massive, with well-developed muscles. They have both strong hands and powerful feet. Their fur is dark in color, and adult males have a silver stripe on their back. The eyebrow protrudes forward, the ratio of the length of the forelimbs to the length of the hind limbs is 6 to 5.
The gorilla is an animal that can stand up and walk on its hind legs, but mostly walks on all fours. Gorillas, like chimpanzees, when walking, rely not on the pads of the fingers and on the palms of the forelimbs, like many other animals, but on bent fingers (on the back side). Thanks to this, when walking they retain inside brushes intact very sensitive skin. The gorilla has a large head with a low forehead and a rather massive jaw protruding forward and a huge ridge above the eyes (photo below). The brain is approximately 600 cm3 in volume and consists of 48 chromosomes.
Nutrition
The main diet of gorillas is plant food: wild celery, nettle, bedstraw, and pygeum fruits. Supplement to the main diet - fruits and nuts. Animal food (mostly insects) represents a small part of the menu.
As various mineral supplements they use certain types of clays, which compensate for the lack of salts in food. These monkeys can do without water, since juicy greens contain a sufficient amount of moisture. They avoid bodies of water and do not like rain.
Gorillas in nature live mainly in central and western Africa, in forests. There are also inhabited slopes of Virunga (a mountain of volcanic origin), covered with forest.
Moreover, they usually live in small groups consisting of 5-30 individuals: a male leader and several females with cubs.
Features of behavior
- In places where gorillas live, groups are formed in which a leader dominates, determining the daily routine: searching for food, choosing a place to sleep, etc.
- The life of these monkeys lasts quite a long time - up to 50 years.
- Females usually give birth to one baby, which stays with the mother until the next baby is born.
- Due to deforestation, which is the habitat of these animals, the number of gorillas is greatly reduced. In addition, poachers often hunt for them. There are few places left in the world where the gorilla lives.
- Gorillas tolerate captivity well, which is why they can be seen in many
- Monkeys are included in the list of dangerous animals on Earth.
- To assert authority, the leader performs a terrifying dance, which is only a threat. Even a very angry male often refrains from attacking. When attacking a person, which happens rarely, gorillas limit themselves to only small bites.
Gorilla aggression
Usually quarrels in gorilla families occur between females. When someone attacks the group, the males, as a rule, provide protection. At the same time, aggression mainly comes down to demonstrating its strength and intimidation: the gorilla, rushing at the enemy, stops and beats itself in the chest in front of him.
Among some tribes in Africa (where gorillas live), the wounds from the bites of these monkeys are considered the most shameful: this indicates that the person was running away and that he is a coward. It often happened that hunters from Europe, seeing a monkey rushing at them and killing it with a shot from a gun, then told their compatriots a fascinating story about a terrible and terrible animal.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, this idea of the gorilla was quite widespread. But the strength of this species of ape, the male gorilla, should not be underestimated. There is a fact that even leopards try to avoid fights with him.
In conclusion about reproduction and attitude towards offspring
Where gorillas live, you can see a touching picture: a female mother cares for her baby. She acts as a loving and caring mother. The male represents a patient and calm father.
The gestation period for gorillas lasts up to 8.5 months. After the birth of the baby, whose weight is approximately 2 kilograms, the mother carries him, feeds and protects him. His life is completely dependent on the care of his mother until almost the age of three, after which he becomes an independent representative of the group.
Sexual maturity in females occurs between 10 and 12 years, and males mature at 11-13 years (in captivity this happens earlier). The female gives birth once every 3-5 years.
Gorilla- the largest of the anthropoid monkeys - endowed with developed intellect and a calm, peaceful disposition. Possessing a huge physical strength, gorillas resort to it only in the most extreme cases.
HABITAT
Gorillas live in dense and humid tropical forests. All subspecies are represented by small populations and are found only within the borders national parks. The lowland gorilla thrives both in virgin jungles and in secondary forests that have grown on old clearings or abandoned fields: the main thing for it is the presence of dense undergrowth. Home of the mountain gorillas - rainforests, growing on the volcanic soils of the Virunga massif, where these animals can be found at altitudes of up to 4100 m.
SECURITY
The gorilla population is very small. Clearing the jungle for cropland or for timber is destroying the habitat of these primates. Today, there are about 45,000 western coast gorillas, 4,000 eastern lowland gorillas and about 500 mountain gorillas left in the wild. All three subspecies are protected by law, but the animals are often victims of poachers who sell gorilla heads and arms as souvenirs. Many primates are captured for sale to zoos and private menageries. Preferring to hunt defenseless cubs, hunters mercilessly kill their mothers, since otherwise it is impossible to take the babies away from them. Exotic lovers often buy young gorillas without realizing that the animal can be dangerous. However, it is also impossible to release it: a cub raised in captivity is not adapted to life in the wild. When defending itself or its cubs, the gorilla becomes aggressive and rushes to attack with a menacingly bared mouth.
LIFESTYLE
Gorillas live in small family groups, which usually consist of an adult male leader and several females with cubs. Family ties within the group are very strong. Showing their affection for the dominant male, females vie with each other to clean his fur coat during the midday rest hours. As soon as the first rays of the sun touch the nests woven from branches, the whole family wakes up, at the signal of the leader, leaves the place where they spend the night and goes together in search of breakfast. During the hike, the primates leisurely walk in single file, leaning on all four paws and grabbing the treats they like along the way. Adult gorillas rarely climb trees, as even thick branches break under their impressive weight. If during a day's march an open clearing is encountered on the group's path, the leader is the first to cross to the other side, and only then calls the others to follow him. It takes gorillas a good half day to feed. To satisfy the needs of their powerful body, these convinced vegetarians daily consume huge amounts of greenery - leaves, fruits, wild celery and parsley, nettles, the bark of some types of trees and shrubs, collecting food with their hands. The favorite delicacy of gorillas is young bamboo shoots. At midday it's a blissful siesta time, when you can brush your fur, take a nap or play with the kids. Towards evening, preparations for the night begin. Each member of the family builds a den from branches, lined with grass and leaves. Adult gorillas build nests on the ground, and juveniles sometimes roost on the lower branches of trees. The round nest is designed so that its owner does not fall out in his sleep, and is disposable: every evening the monkey builds a new den. Gorillas communicate using a rich set of sounds, facial expressions and gestures. To scare away a rival and attract the attention of a female friend, the male performs ritual gestures, accompanying them with special sounds. Having announced himself with loud cries, the primate energetically picks off bunches of leaves and brings them to his mouth, and then, standing up to his full height, begins to pull out plants with roots and throw them into the air. In the finale, the gentleman pounds himself in the chest with his fists, walks back and forth and again pulls out the plants. The show of force ends with a resounding slam of the palm onto the ground.
REPRODUCTION
A female gorilla gives birth to her first cub at the age of 10, and the next ones at intervals of 3.5-4.5 years. Females come into heat at any time of the year. During the leisurely act of mating, partners show each other gentle signs of attention. After less than 9 months of pregnancy, the female will give birth to one cub weighing about 1.5 kg, covered with wavy fur. During the first days, the mother is forced to support her child’s heavy head, since he cannot hold it himself. The cub is constantly with the mother and after a few days rides around on her back or hangs under her belly, tightly gripping her fur with her paws. Until 4 months, the baby feeds on milk and, under the watchful supervision of the mother, learns to walk and climb trees. At the fifth month of life, the cub begins to pluck greenery and learns to recognize edible plants, and at 8.5 months it is already able to stand upright. If milk feeding has not yet stopped, the cub spends the night in the same nest with its mother. Usually, the older cub is weaned before the next birth. From this moment on, the young gorilla sleeps in her nest, although she builds it next to her mother’s.
In the event of the death of the female, the leader takes all care of the orphaned cub, showing no less patience and affection than the mother. Young gorillas love to play with their peers and often involve their elders in their fun. Having reached sexual maturity by 6-9 years, females can remain in their group or leave. Males that mature at 7-11 years leave native group and live alone for several years. Only at the age of 15 does a male make an attempt to seize power in another group or attract females to himself in order to establish own family. Having defeated the old leader, the new owner kills all his cubs. In females deprived of offspring, estrus begins, and the young male can take care of the continuation of his lineage.
DID YOU KNOW?
A free-living gorilla never drinks water, content with the liquid obtained from succulent food. By the way, gorillas cannot swim at all and are even afraid of water. Gorillas do not know fear, but aggression is also alien to them. When two meet family groups the leaders limit themselves only to demonstrating their strength, although sometimes fights occur, especially when a stranger claims to be the head of the family.
The birth of twins in gorillas - very rare. If this happens, the female is unable to produce two babies, and only one cub survives, and sometimes both die.
SUBSPECTS
Zoologists distinguish three subspecies of gorillas, differing slightly from each other in size, build, as well as the length and color of their fur.
Most numerous western coast gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) inhabits lowland forests West Africa. Her character traits– thick grayish-brown fur and faint ridges around the nostrils. In males, the silver saddle can reach the buttocks and go down to the thighs.
Eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla graueri) living in lowland forests central regions continent, has a more dense build, and the silver saddle covers only the back of the male. The face of primates of this subspecies is more elongated with pronounced nostril ridges.
Third subspecies - mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) lives in the mountain forests of the Virunga massif, in the territory Democratic Republic Congo (formerly Zaire), Uganda and Rwanda. Its jet-black fur is thicker than that of other subspecies, its face is short and wide, and its nose wings are almost round. Sometimes the mountain gorilla is considered as an independent species.
Western coast gorilla found in Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Eastern lowland gorilla lives in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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