![]() ![]() They are found in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. beringei graueri): Eastern lowland gorillas or Grauer’s gorillas are a subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. The Grauer’s Gorilla or Eastern Lowland gorilla (G. We can now discuss the various gorilla sub-species in more detail: The Eastern Gorilla is divided into what is known as Eastern lowland gorillas (Grauer’s gorillas) and Mountain gorillas. Western gorillas are divided into the Western Lowland gorillas and Cross River gorillas. There are two Gorilla Spies as highlighted earlier but each Specie is divided into two subspecies. Western Gorillas are also the ones you see in zoos and sanctuaries outside Africa. That said, there is a larger population of Western gorillas in the wilds of Africa compared to Eastern Gorillas. Eastern Gorillas also have thicker fur covering their bodies. However, Eastern gorillas are slightly bigger than Western gorillas. As earlier highlighted, gorilla species have minor physical differences. Western gorillas are generally found in the western arm of Africa’s tropical rain-forest while Eastern gorillas live in the eastern side. Gorillas are classified by their location. They include the Eastern gorilla and Western gorilla. There are two species of gorillas found in the wild forests of Africa. ![]() They are shy creatures and only get violent (charge) if they feel threatened in one way or another. Note: Whereas gorillas are often mistaken for being beasts, they are arguably the most peaceful of primates. They keep moving from one place to another looking for fresh food or avoiding other families. It is the younger ones that love spending more time climbing trees. Adult gorillas are good climbers but generally avoid trees because of their weight. Gorillas spend most of their time on the ground feeding and preparing nests on the ground. They will occasionally eat small invertebrates for proteins. Gorillas are herbivorous animals that feed on tree shoots, leaves, vines and branches. Female gorillas become sexually active at the age of 10 while males do the same at 15 years. While alone, the young silverback will try to steal females from another group. They will live alone in an area close to their original family or with other young silverbacks. Adult males also tend to leave the group after being chased away by the alpha male silverback but this is not always the case. Young female gorillas normally join another families or look for a lone male gorilla once they reach sexual maturity. In-breeding is rare within a gorilla family. Silverback gorillas are generally polygamous but all mating is initiated by the females as soon as they get fertile. The stability of a gorilla family largely depends on the bond between the dominant male and adult females. The dominant Silverback is the head of the family and determines everything that happens in the group. The family comprises of a dominant silverback, other silverbacks, two or three females, juveniles and infants. Gorillas are very social animals with families/groups consisting of between 10 to 30 individuals. The average lifespan of a gorilla in the wild is 35 years and in captivity 45 years. The hair on the back of the male turns grey as they mature and this why they are known as Silverbacks. Almost the entire body is covered by fur except for their faces, chest and ends of their digits. Gorillas have broad chests, black/brownish eyes and large nostrils. Gorillas move on all two pairs of limbs but stand on two legs when picking food from high points. Their upper limbs are bigger and longer than the lower ones. Gorillas are very large primates with adult males (Silverbacks) weighing over 150 kilograms and females about 120 kilograms. General Information about all Species of Gorillas Despite their differences, it is very difficult to distinguish one subspecies of gorilla from another without experience observing them closely. They adapted different traits/behavior and physical structure. This single specie of gorilla got dispersed and had to adapt to different environments and patches of forest. Overtime, it the forests became segmented due to natural factors but also population explosion in Africa. These forests have different ecosystems with some comprising of montane forest, bamboo, rain-forests, wetlands, marshes and mountains.Īt one time, only one species of gorilla lived in one intact and vast tropical rain-forest. ![]() The great forests of East and Central Africa are the only natural habitat of gorillas in the world. They not only exhibit compassion, happiness, sadness but can use complex tools like humans. Gorillas are the largest of all the great apes and have a similar DNA to that of humans (95%). ![]() The other four include humans, Orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos. Gorilla Species – Smallest to the Largest Gorilla Subspecies ![]()
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