Habitat
Eastern lowland gorilla ( Gorilla beringei graueri) is less endangered than the mountain gorilla, which has a population of 5,000 individuals. This subspecies is distributed in lowland and mountain subalpine forests in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in southwestern Uganda, Rwanda and in the area between the Lualaba River and lakes Edward and Tanganyika.
Appearance
Eastern gorilla has a large head, broad chest, long legs, and a flat nose with large nostrils. Its coat is mostly black; mature males have a silver stripe on the back. Fur covers almost the entire body, with the exception of the face, chest, palms and feet. With age, it acquires a grayish color. The body weight of an adult male is on average 160 kg, sometimes it can reach 220 kg, females weigh from 70 to 114 kg; body length is 185 cm in males and 150 cm in females.
Nutrition and lifestyle
Eastern lowland gorillas prefer forests with dense grassy litter. They feed on roots, leaves, bark, wood, flowers, fruits and plant stems, sometimes invertebrate animals and fungi. Like western lowland gorillas, these apes live in family groups consisting of a dominant male, several females and cubs, however, the group size of eastern gorillas is larger than that of western gorillas, averaging 35 individuals. The boundaries of a group's territory are not guarded, but skirmishes may occur when one group meets another. Females usually move from their natal group to another before mating season. This usually occurs around the age of 8 years. They often join lone males and create a new group. Males leave the family they grew up with at 11 years of age. They spend a lot of time living alone, and usually start their own family no earlier than 15 years old.
Reproduction
Clear breeding season eastern gorillas No. Females give birth to cubs only once every 3-4 years, due to a long period of pregnancy and raising the young. Their pregnancy lasts 8.5 months, after which one cub is born. Newborns have grayish-pink skin and can crawl 9 weeks after birth. Weaning occurs at 3.5 years. Sexual maturity occurs at 10 years in females and 15 years in males. The life expectancy of eastern gorillas is 40-50 years.
Number
Number eastern lowland gorillas in 1995 it was estimated at approximately 16,900 animals. It has declined sharply in the last decade. The area of distribution of this subspecies is 21,600 km², which is 25% less than in 1969. Agriculture is an essential factor for the survival of eastern lowland gorillas. Current political instability and the killing of gorillas for meat are exacerbating the problem of protecting them. The subspecies is listed in the IUCN Red List with the status of “endangered”.
Gorilla- the largest of the anthropoid monkeys - endowed with developed intelligence and a calm, peaceful disposition. Possessing enormous 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 in small populations and are found only within the boundaries of 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. The native home of mountain gorillas is tropical forests 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 begin for the night. 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 the rival and attract the attention of the female, 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 eldest cub is weaned before the next birth. From this moment on, the young gorilla sleeps in its nest, although it builds it next to its 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 by 7-11 years leave their native group and live alone for several years. Only at the age of 15 does a male make an attempt to seize power in an alien group or attract females to himself in order to start his own family. Having defeated the old leader, the new owner kills all his cubs. Females deprived of offspring go into heat, 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 family groups meet, the leaders limit themselves to demonstrating their strength, although sometimes fights occur, especially when a stranger claims to be the head of the family.
The birth of twins among gorillas is 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 the lowland forests of West Africa. Its characteristic features are 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), which lives in the lowland forests of the central regions of the 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 of the Democratic Republic of the 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.
Gorilla is an animal belonging to the genus of monkeys, which includes the largest and most modern representatives of the order of primates. The first description of this species was given by a missionary from America, Thomas Savage.
Biological description and characteristics
Adult males are very large animals, and their height in their natural habitat is usually 170-175 cm, but sometimes taller individuals with a height of two meters or more are found. The shoulder width of an adult animal varies within a meter. The average body weight of males is within three hundred kilograms, and the weight of females is much less and rarely exceeds 150 kg.
This is interesting! To get enough food, gorillas use very strong upper limbs, the muscles on which are six times stronger than the muscle strength of any average person.
The primate has a massive build and also has strong and well-developed muscles.. The body is covered with dark and fairly thick hair. Adult males are distinguished by the presence of a clearly visible silver stripe on their back. Primates of this species are characterized by a pronounced protruding eyebrow. The head is quite large in size and has a low forehead. A special feature is the massive and protruding jaw, as well as a powerful supraorbital ridge. On the top of the head there is a kind of pillow, which is formed by a leathery thickening and connective tissue.
This is interesting! The gorilla's body has a characteristic shape: the width of the abdomen exceeds the width of the chest, which is due to the large digestive system necessary for the efficient digestion of significant quantities of high-fiber foods of plant origin.
The ratio of the average length of the fore and hind limbs is 6:5. In addition, the wild animal has strong hands and powerful feet, which allows the gorilla to periodically stand and move on its hind limbs, but movement on all fours is still natural. When walking, the gorilla does not rest its forelimbs on the pads of its toes. The support is provided by the outer side of the bent fingers, which helps preserve the thin and sensitive skin on the inside of the hand.
Gorilla species
Numerous studies have made it possible to determine that the genus of gorillas can include a couple of species and four subspecies, some of which are classified as rare and are listed in the Red Book.
Western gorilla
This species includes two subspecies: the lowland gorilla and the river gorilla, which are distributed in lowland tropical forest zones where dense grassy vegetation and wetlands prevail.
There is dark hair on the body, except for the head and limbs. The frontal part has a brown-yellowish or gray-yellowish coloration. The nose with large nostrils has a characteristic overhanging tip. Eyes and ears are small. The hands have large nails and large fingers.
Western gorillas are united in groups, the composition of which can vary from two individuals to two dozen individuals, of which at least one is male, as well as females with young animals. Sexually mature individuals, as a rule, leave the group and, leaving their parents, remain completely alone for some time. A characteristic feature is the transition of females at the breeding stage from group to group. The gestation period lasts on average 260 days, as a result of which one baby is born, cared for by its parents until about three to four years of age.
Eastern gorilla
Distributed throughout the lowland and mountainous subalpine forest zones of the tropics, the species is represented by the mountain gorilla and the lowland gorilla. These subspecies are characterized by the presence of a large head, a wide chest and long lower limbs. The nose has a flat shape and large nostrils.
The hair is predominantly black in color, with a bluish tint.. Adult males have a pronounced silver stripe on the back. Almost the entire body is covered with fur, with the exception of the face, chest, palms and feet. In adults, with age, a clearly visible, noble grayish color appears.
Family groups consist of an average of thirty to forty individuals, and are represented by a dominant male, females and cubs. Before the breeding season, females are able to move from one group to another or join lonely males, as a result of which a new family group is created. Males that have reached sexual maturity leave the group and after about five years they independently create a new family.
Habitat
All subspecies of the eastern gorilla are naturally distributed in subalpine forest zones in lowland and mountainous areas located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as in the southwest of Uganda and Rwanda. Large groups of primates of this species are found in the areas between the Lualaba River, Lake Edward and the Tanganyika deep-sea reservoir. The animal prefers forests that have a dense grassy floor.
This is interesting! A gorilla's day is scheduled literally minute by minute and begins with a short walk around the nest, eating leaves or grass. During the lunch break, the animals rest or sleep. And the second half of the day is completely devoted to building a nest or arranging it.
Western river and lowland gorilla families live in lowlands, tropical forests and plains in Cameroon, Central African Republic. Also, a large number of primates of this species inhabit the mainland of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo and Angola.
Natural nutrition
The gorilla spends a significant part of its time in search of food. To find food for itself, the animal is able to methodically walk around the territory along constant and well-known paths. Primates move on four limbs. Gorillas of any kind are absolute vegetarians, so exclusively vegetation is used for nutrition. Preference is given to the foliage and stem parts of various plants.
This is interesting! The food consumed by gorillas has a small amount of useful substances, so the large primate needs to eat about eighteen to twenty kilograms of such food daily.
Contrary to long-established, popular belief, only a small part of the diet of the eastern gorilla is represented by fruits. The western gorilla, on the other hand, prefers fruits, therefore, in search of suitable fruit trees, a large animal is able to cover quite long distances. The low calorie content of food forces animals to spend a lot of time searching for food and feeding themselves. Due to receiving large amounts of liquid from plant foods, gorillas rarely drink.
Features of reproduction
Female gorillas enter sexual maturity at the age of ten to twelve years.. Males become sexually mature a couple of years later. Gorillas breed year-round, but females mate exclusively with the leader of the family. Thus, in order to procreate, a sexually mature male individual must gain leadership or create his own family.
This is interesting! Despite the fact that there is no obvious “monkey” language, gorillas communicate with each other by making twenty-two completely different sounds.
Cubs are born approximately every four years. The gestation period lasts on average 8.5 months. Each female gives birth to one cub, and it is raised by the mother until the age of three. The average weight of a newborn, as a rule, does not exceed a couple of kilograms. Initially, the cub is held on the female's back, clinging to her fur. The grown cub moves well independently. However, the little gorilla will accompany its mother for quite a long time, for four to five years.
Natural enemies of gorilla
In their natural habitat, large monkeys have practically no enemies. Its impressive size, as well as strong collective support, made the gorilla absolutely invulnerable to other animals. It should also be noted that gorillas themselves never show aggression towards neighboring animals, therefore they often live in close proximity to ungulate species and smaller species of monkeys.
Thus, The only enemy for the gorilla is man, or rather local poachers, which destroy primates in order to obtain valuable exhibits for collectors in the field of zoology. Gorillas, unfortunately, are an endangered species. Their extermination has been very widespread in recent years, and is carried out with the aim of obtaining quite valuable fur and skulls. Baby gorillas are captured in large quantities and then sold to private individuals or to numerous pet zoos.
A separate problem is also human infections, to which gorillas have virtually no immunity. Such diseases are very dangerous for any species of gorilla, and often cause massive declines in the number of primate families in their natural habitat.
Possibility of home maintenance
The gorilla belongs to the category of social animals, for which it is quite natural to stay in groups. This the largest representative of monkeys is extremely rarely kept at home, which is due to its impressive size and features of tropical origin. The animal is often housed in zoos, but in captivity the gorilla lives up to fifty years at best.
Gorillas are the largest apes and primates in general. Along with chimpanzees and orangutans, they are the closest to humans. The genus of gorillas 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 a large belly due to the large amount of gases in their intestines, and their backs are wide, sometimes slightly sagging. The jaws of these monkeys are powerful and protrude strongly forward. Gorillas are characterized by 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 West and Central Africa. They inhabit moist equatorial forests on 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 their impressive appearance, gorillas have a very calm character. 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 on their hind legs, beat themselves in the chest 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.
A baby gorilla sits on its mother's belly.
In their 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, diseases such as influenza, for example, were unknown among local residents; now tourists are carriers of viruses. Gorillas, who are not immune to influenza, are very susceptible to the disease in the wild and often die. On top of all the problems, these animals suffer from constant habitat loss. Continuous deforestation and civil wars in the gorillas' habitat have left them in a critical situation.
This baby gorilla was rescued from the hands of animal traffickers in the Congo. While the orphan gets used to his new home, workers at the 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 are not circus performers and are not designed to learn 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 about 2,000 English words by ear and mastered about 1,000 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.
There are many feature films starring huge fictional apes. 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.
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.
Due to its large 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 can 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 further than 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 can 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. They can survive for a long time without water because the greens they consume 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 breastfeeding lasts up to 3 years. Children stay close to their parents for a long time. Gorillas live in the wild for about 40 years. In captivity ten years longer.
