Uncommon Common Gorilla Facts

Gorilla Facts * Gorillas possess 98% of the same nuclear DNA as humans * There's a greater degree of difference between gorilla & chimp DNA in contrast to gorilla & human DNA * Gorillas are the biggest primate (note humans are primates) * Gorillas, chimpanzees and humans are classified under the same family--Hominidae * Gorillas and chimps used to be classified under the family Pongidae--Now only the orangutan remains in the Pongidae family * There're two species of gorilla: Western Gorilla and Eastern Gorilla * The largest subspecies of gorilla is the Grauer's gorilla (eastern lowland gorilla) * A group of gorillas is called a troop * A silverback gorilla is so-called because of the greyish/silver patch he gains on his back when he attains maturity * Eastern gorillas tend to have blacker hair than their Western counterparts who tend to be browner * Gorillas have hair not fur * Mountain gorillas have longer hair, larger jaws and teeth, smaller noses and shorter arms than other gorillas * Gorilla arms are longer than their legs and in the western gorilla, the male's arm span extends 7-9 feet; A greater length than the gorilla is tall * Not a single one of the gorillas in zoos around the world is a mountain gorilla--they are all lowland (western) gorillas * The gorillas you see in movies are usually western gorillas, that's why they look so different from the one's seen on safari * Mountain gorillas tend to die in captivity * Most gorillas seen on safari are habituated mountain gorillas (bwindi subspecies too) * Gorillas are mainly folivorous though they may supplement their diet with insects and small animals * Gorillas live to approx. 35-40yrs in the wild and about 50 years in captivity * Male gorilla heights average between 5.6 -6.0 feet (1.7 - 1.8 meters) * Male gorillas weigh between 300 - 500 lbs (136 -227 kgs) * Female gorillas are significantly smaller. Height: usually no more than 5ft (1.5 meters) Weight 150-200 lbs (68-91kgs) * Gorillas are naturally found only in Africa * Western gorillas are found in the West-Central African region (Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and south-eastern Nigeria). * Eastern gorillas live in the East-Central African region (Uganda, Rwanda and Congo) * An adult male eats up to 40 pounds of food a day * Dian Fossey was the foremost person responsible for alerting the public at large to the plight of the mountain gorilla * Gorillas like other primates are now known to use tools--even wild gorillas have been observed using tools * December 22, 1956 was the date of the first registered gorilla birth in captivity at Columbus Zoo in Ohio * Until the late 1970s, thousands of gorillas were slaughtered in order to capture young gorillas destined for zoos * By the end of 1991, 53% of all gorillas in zoos were born in captivity * To date more than 760 gorillas reside in over 140 zoos