Gorilla --- Mammals

Gorilla gorilla

Few other animals have been the subject of as many legends as the gorilla. However, it isn’t the man-eating monster that many people imagine. In fact, it eats nothing but leaves, fruit, and plant shoots.

Gorillas live in groups of 2 to 30. Each group occupies a territory that can cover as much as 12 square miles. Their highly structured families include a dominant male, usually the largest and the strongest; 2 to 3 smaller males; several females; and young gorillas of all ages. Gorillas travels slowly through the forest at the rate of no more than half a miles a day. They leave behind them a powerful scent that can be detected from 150 feet. Gorillas spend nearly 15 hours a day sleeping. Each night they build their nest out of branches. Gorillas are shy animals and only charge when they are taken by surprise. Even then, they charge more to hide their fear than to attack others.

There are two subspecies of gorillas. The lowland gorillas are found in the forests of Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, Congo, and Zaire. The mountain gorillas live in the mountains that separate east from central Africa. The number of gorillas is decreasing. There are now only several thousand left, but although they are legally protected, illegal hunting and loss of natural habitat continue to destroy them.

CLASS: Mammals

ORDER: Primates

SUBORDER: Anthropoids

FAMILY: Apes

HEIGHT: up to 6 feet

WEIGHT: 175 to 200 pounds (Female)          

                  300 to 400 pounds (Male)

DIET: mostly leaves and shoots

NUMBER OF YOUNG: 1

HOME: West and central Africa