Facts About Gorillas

Gorillas are sometimes referred to the “King of the Apes”. Gorillas are members of the great ape family which also includes: chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos.

Gorillas are peaceful and social creatures. Gorillas live in groups of up to twenty. Gorillas spend most of their lives on the group but they will often climb into lower tree branches to find leaves, bark, roots and fruit to eat.

Gorillas live in groups of females and their young. The group is led by a senior male gorilla known as a Silverback gorilla. The Silverback defends his group with an elaborate display to intimidate predators.

Gorillas may beat their chest to warn of danger or to tell an intruder they are not welcome.. When two gorilla groups meet, the dominant male Silverbacks put on elaborate displays in an attempt to intimidate each other. Silverback Gorillas stand more than 5 1/2 feet tall and weigh an average of 350 lbs. Male gorillas can be twice the size of female gorillas.

Gorillas only travel 400 yards per day. Gorillas often eat succulents or plants that hold water, as a result gorillas rarely need to drink water in the wild. Gorillas will also link or drink water off of a leaf.

Gorillas were once hunted for their hands and feet which were sold for tourist souveniers. It is now illegal to hunt Gorillas, but some species have still not recovered, and are close to extinction.

The flare and shape of a gorilla’s nostril are unique to each gorilla, similar to a human's fingerprints.

About the Author
Jacob Maddox manages content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com an educational wildlife and animal website. Jacob also guest writes for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net