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
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