Gorilla

From Freepedia

(Redirected from Gorillas)
For other uses, see Gorilla (disambiguation).
Gorillas
Image:LowlandGorilla.PD.jpg
Eastern Lowland Gorilla
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Primates
Family:Hominidae
Genus:Gorilla
I Geoffroy, 1853
Type species
Troglodytes gorilla
Savage, 1847
Species

Gorilla gorilla
Gorilla beringei

Image:Male silverback Gorilla.JPG

The gorilla, the largest of the primates, is a ground-dwelling herbivore that inhabits the forests of central Africa. There are two species of gorilla, both in the genus Gorilla; each species has two subspecies.

Both species of gorilla are endangered, and have been subject to intense poaching for a long time. Threats to gorilla survival include habitat destruction and the bushmeat trade.

All gorillas share a single blood type, B.

Contents

Physical characteristics

Gorillas move about by knuckle-walking. Males range in height from 1.65 m to 1.83 m, and in weight from 140 kg to 165 kg., but some large male specimens have been recorded at 2–2.44 m and 272–364 kg. Females are about half the weight of males.

Gestation is 8 ½ months. There are typically 3–4 years between births. Infants stay with their mothers for 3–4 years. Females mature at 10–12 years (earlier in captivity); males 11–13 years, sometimes sooner if they assume leadership early. Lifespan is between 30–50 years. The Philadelphia Zoo's Massa set the longevity record of 54 years at the time of his death.

Gorillas are mainly herbivores, eating fruits, leaves, and shoots.

Strength

In many cultures gorillas are renowned for their strength. The exact strength of the gorilla is unknown, although most estimates put it about 10 times the strength of even the strongest human. Gorillas are stronger than they look, having significantly more muscle mass than a human pound for pound.

Gorilla culture

Image:Gorilla-kiktajm.png

A silverback is an adult male gorilla, typically more than 12 years of age and named for the distinctive patch of silver hair on his back A silverback gorilla has large canines that come with maturity. Blackbacks are sexually immature males of up to 11 years of age.

Silverbacks are the strong, dominant troop leaders. Each typically leads a troop of 5 to 30 gorillas and is the center of the troop's attention, making all the decisions, mediating conflicts, determining the movements of the group, leading the others to feeding sites and taking responsibility for the safety and well-being of the troop.

Males will slowly begin to leave their original troop when they are about 11 years old, travelling alone or with a group of other males for 2–5 years before being able to attract females to form a new group and start breeding. While infant gorillas normally stay with their mother for 3–4 years, silverbacks will care for weaned young orphans.

If challenged by a younger or even by an outsider male, a silverback will scream, beat his chest, shake broken-off branches at the intruder, bare his teeth then charge forward. If he is killed by disease, accident, fighting or poachers, the group will split up or be taken over in its entirety by a male descendant or even an unrelated male; there is a strong risk that a new male may kill the infants of the dead silverback.

Intelligence

Gorillas are closely related to humans and are considered highly intelligent. A few individuals in captivity, such as Koko, have been taught a subset of sign language (see animal language for a discussion).

Tool use

Image:Gorrila tool use-Efi.jpg

The following observations were made by a team led by Thomas Breuer of the Wildlife Conservation Society in September 2005. Gorillas are now known to use tools in the wild. A female gorilla in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo was recorded using a stick to gauge the depth of water whilst crossing a swamp. A second female was seen using a tree stump as a bridge and also as a support whilst fishing in the swamp. This means that all of the great apes are now known to use tools. [1].

Also in September of 2005, a two and a half year old gorilla in the Republic of Congo was discovered using rocks to smash open palm nuts. [2].

Classification

Primatologists continue to explore the relationships between various gorilla populations. The most recent publication (Primate Taxonomy, Colin Groves 2001 ISBN 1-56098-872-X) lists two recognized species, with four subspecies:

Gorilla gorilla, Western Gorilla

Gorilla beringei, Eastern Gorilla

Image:Gorilla beringei graueri01.jpg


Gorillas in pop culture

  • The gorilla suit is an eternally popular gag costume. On The Zone on YTV, a recurring character is Gorilla Stan, who is actually a person wearing a cheap Halloween costume.
  • The mascot of the NBA's Phoenix Suns is a man in a gorilla suit, called The Gorilla.
  • The giant gorilla is a recurring theme in film, especially in the various incarnations of King Kong and Mighty Joe Young.
  • The namesake of the Donkey Kong video game franchise is a gorilla.
  • Optimus Primal on Beast Wars and Beast Machines starts out as a regular gorilla. His beast modes get more technological in each incarnation.
  • The protagonist of Don Martin's Mad Magazine strip "National Gorilla-Suit Day" is ever beset by gorillas (or persons dressed as gorillas).
  • In the film Planet of the Apes, gorillas fill security/military roles.
  • Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, is the only public college in the United States to have a gorilla as mascot.
  • Famed boarding school Phillips Academy, in Andover, Massachusetts, also has a gorilla as an informal mascot.
  • In the anime series "Sakigake! Cromartie High School," a gorilla is one of the more powerful delinquents at Cromartie High. He (she?) also plays backup guitar for "Freddie," a fellow student who may or may not be Freddie Mercury.
  • A well-known vacuum cleaner repair shop in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, The Hilly Billy Vac Shack, has a gorilla-costumed mascot who waves at motorists, holding a sign saying "Hilly-Billy likes you!" In recent years, the owner has had legal problems because his roller-blading gorilla mascot was found to be disturbing traffic by waving at them from the road. "Is a gorilla on roller-skates considered a pedestrian?" was the question on the minds of the court.
  • A gorilla teaches the protagonist about the history of humanity and the effect "civilized" culture has had on other species in the award-winning novel Ishmael, written by Daniel Quinn.
  • Gorillas were frequently used as a gimmick to sell comics during the Silver Age of Comic Books: see Gorillas in comics.

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:
Retrieved from "http://en.freepedia.org/Gorilla.html"


Views
Personal tools
In other languages
Similar Links