The Gorilla species is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringer) and the western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
There are two species of eastern gorilla: the mountain gorilla (Gb beringei) and the eastern lowland gorilla (Gb graueri)
The western gorilla also has two subspecies: the western lowland gorilla (Gg gorilla) and the river gorilla (Gg diehli)
The gorilla is the largest primate
A large male can weigh almost 500 pounds
Size varies by species and sex
Great female gorillas are smaller than their male counterparts
Eastern gorillas are usually larger than western species, with male eastern gorillas weighing up to 484 kilograms and females weighing up to 215 kilograms
Gorillas are the largest of the great apes
His stomach is usually bigger than his chest
The size of their stomach is due to their enlarged intestine, which digests the plants they eat
They have hands as large as humans, and small eyes attached to hairless faces
Eastern gorillas are distinguished from western gorillas by their darker coat color
Although gorillas can stand upright, they prefer to walk on their hands and feet
Their arms are much longer than their legs, and gorillas can use the backs of their fingers as extra legs when they walk, known as the knuckle walk
Gorillas eat mostly natural ingredients
Their diet also includes leaves, stems, fruits, seeds, roots, ants, and termites
A large male gorilla can eat more than 40 kilograms of plants per day
Their large stomachs can hold a lot of food and their strong jaws help them chew tough stems
Because they eat a lot of plants, which tolerate half of the water and the morning dew, gorillas rarely need to drink water
Gorillas are found in tropical and subtropical forest habitats
They cover a wide range, with mountain gorillas found high up in the mountains and lowland gorillas found at sea level
The western lowland gorilla lives in the rainforests of West Africa, including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea
Cross River gorillas live in a small area between Nigeria and Cameroon
The eastern lowland gorilla lives in the rainforests of Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mountain gorillas live in the high tropical forests of Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda
Female gorillas reach sexual maturity at about six to eight years of age and may begin puberty several years later
When he is ready to breed, he will leave the protection of his soldiers and find another soldier or a single silver to live
Female gorillas give birth to one baby at a time
Newborn gorillas, called babies, are smaller than newborns
Baby gorillas weigh only 3 to 4 kilograms, which is half the size of a baby!
However, they grow faster than humans and reach about 12 years of age
They start crawling at about two months and learn to cling to their mother’s back before they learn to walk at about nine months
Newborn babies quickly become experts at holding onto their mother’s hair and can eat and sleep in a piggyback
Gorillas are known to nurse for up to three years, which is about the same time the mother is ready to give birth to a baby
A young gorilla stays close to its mother, sharing the nest, until it is four to six years old
Gorillas form groups called troops, which range in size from 5 to 30 gorillas
1 to 4 big men are threatened by the army, or “solafotsi”, some young men, several big women and their children
A strong and experienced man leads the army, making all the decisions for the army
He is responsible for the safety and health of his troops
Almost every day, the silverback will lead his troops to a new location where food is plentiful
After breakfast, each adult gorilla gathers leaves, twigs and branches to make a nest for the day to rest while the children play
After he sleeps, the gorilla eats again until he sleeps, when he makes another nest, either on the ground or in a tree
Gorillas live 35 to 40 years in the wild
Gorillas have no natural enemies or predators
The biggest threat to the species is humans
Gorillas are hunted by humans for their food called bushmeat
Logging and mining companies have destroyed the gorilla habitat
Local armed conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has caused refugees to pour into former gorilla habitat
Diseases such as the Ebola virus have devastated gorilla populations recently
Illegal pet trade is also dangerous
Behind every baby gorilla caught by hunters, several families often die
Both the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla are listed as “endangered” on the IUCN Red List
Conservation efforts by organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and governments are making a difference for gorillas
A new protected area has been set aside for some gorilla populations
There are laws in eight African countries that regulate the capture and hunting of gorillas
Conservation groups work to promote gorilla awareness and education in local communities
Source: San Diego Zoo, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment