Virtual Non-Human Primate Zoo

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:

  Order: Primates

    Suborder: Haplorrhini

      Infraorder: Simiiformes

        Parvorder: Catarrhini

          Superfamily: Hominoidea

            Family: Hominidae

              Subfamily:  Homininae

                Genus: Pan

                  Species: troglodytes

 

COMMON NAME:  Chimpanzee, Chimp

 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION:  Central Africa

 

HABITAT:  Tropical Rainforests

 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

• powerful arms (arms are about one-and-a-half times as long as the animals standing height)

• no tail

• on average males weigh 90-130 lb. -- females weigh 70-100 lb.

• coat is usually black with a white patch near the rump

• face is bare skinned and black, mottled, or pale

• hands, feet, ears, and nose are pinkish

• standing erect, chimps are usually 3-5 ft tall

 

DIET:  Frugivores

60% fruits, 30% other vegetation, 10% animal matter

• fruits

• leaves

• seeds

• stems

• bark

• insect

• meat

 

LOCOMOTION TYPE:  Quadrupedal knuckle-walkers

• with occasional bipedalism

 

SOCIAL GROUP ORGANIZATION:  Fission-fusion society

• form social communities of 5 to 150 animals

• males have a stable dominance hierarchy and are dominant over females

 

PARENTAL CARE:  Mother is primary caregiver

 

COMMUNICATION:

Chimpanzees use different vocalizations and gestures to convey a wide range of emotions.

• Visual:  use facial expressions, touch, and body language to communicate with members of their group

• Vocal:  32 different calls that are versions of four call types: grunts, barks, screams, and hoots

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:  

• toolmakers

• pick up clubs and stones to defend themselves from intruders

• live to about 40 yrs

• sexual maturity comes at 12 yrs old

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS:  Endangered

Major Threats:

• habitat destruction and degradation

• poaching

• disease

 

To learn more about Pan troglodytes, visit the following websites:

1. http://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-bytes/mammals/chimpanzee/

2. http://www.chimpcare.org/about_chimpanzees

3. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15933/0

 

Information and photographs compiled by L. Amezcua and R. Covarrubias.