Gorillas are the largest of the primates left living. Most of them live in central and east Africa.
The biggest dangers to these incredible animals are poaching and habitat destruction. In other words, the biggest threat to these creatures is man.
Gorillas are fascinating and they hold a lot of unique abilities and characteristics that we could learn from.
Let’s look closer at these primates.
How Much Does A Gorilla Weigh?
Full-grown male gorillas may weigh up to 440 pounds. A mature male silverback may top the scales at closer to 500 pounds.
Females are smaller than males. The female silverback will not weigh more than about 250 pounds for the largest ones. Other gorilla females may not even weigh as much as 158 pounds.
Height of A Gorilla
When mature the male gorilla may be six feet or more when he stands erect on his back legs.
The silverback will be slightly taller than average. The silver on the backs of these animals does not appear until they reach about 14 years of age.
Babies
A female is pregnant for about 8 ½ months. When she gives birth she will not breed again for four to six years.
When born the baby will only weigh about 4.5 pounds. The mother will have a single birth. They can have twins, but that is not common.
Baby gorillas make sounds like humming and singing. They do this when they are especially happy or content like when they eat something they really like.
Their mothers carry them most of the time but at 6 months they can walk on their own.
The older siblings and the other juveniles in a group help to watch after and protect the babies. These other young ones hold and care for the smaller ones giving the mothers a much-needed rest.
While adult gorillas have few predators to worry about the infants have several that will do them harm. Leopards prey on juveniles frequently.
Often humans set traps to catch other types of animals but end up catching a baby gorilla instead.
What Do They Like To Eat?
For the most part, these creatures live off of leaves, fruits, and things like bamboo shoots. Some of them like to eat ants and the larvae of termites when they find termite mounds.
Their Senses
These primates have a keen sense of smell. The musk created by a human or an adult male gorilla easily detectable to them.
They have extreme visual acuity. They do see in color and they can determine distance and depth because of their binocular vision traits.
They hear very well and often respond to noises or unusual sounds and vibrations.
They do not have tails.
They have bulging foreheads. It overhangs their eyes. They also have a crest on the top of their head. This oddly shaped crest actually increases their chewing strength so they can eat the coarse vegetation they love.
Did You Know?
- Gorillas are actually gentle animals
- The arms of the average gorilla are a foot longer than the arms of a man
- The brain of a gorilla is much smaller than the brain of a human
- The stomach of these creatures is larger than their chest
- Family groups are always led by an adult male
- There can be all-male groups but in these groups, the leader is generally a silverback
- Adult gorillas do not have hair on their faces, hands, or feet
- Like humans, they have 32 teeth. They also have a set of baby teeth that they lose as they mature, just like humans do.
- They are generally six times stronger than a human
Related Questions
What Is The Heaviest Gorilla?
The heaviest gorilla weighs close to 600 pounds.
How Much Weight Can A Gorilla Lift?
A male silverback may be able to bench press as much as 4,000 pounds at one time.
How Fast Can A Gorilla Run?
They can reach speeds of up to 25 mph.