Virtual Non-Human Primate Zoo

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:

  Order: Primates

    Suborder: Haplorrhini

      Infraorder: Simiiformes

        Parvorder: Catarrhini

          Superfamily: Hominoidea

            Family: Hominidae

              Subfamily:  Homininae

                Genus: Gorilla

                  Species: gorilla

 

COMMON NAME:  Western Gorilla

 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: 

     West & Central Africa

 

HABITAT:

• submontane and lowland area

• dense primary forests

• savanna forest edges

 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

• gray-brown/black fur

• top of head is reddish-brown

• black skin color

• opposable thumb and big toe

• adult male is almost twice the size of the female

 

DIET:  Folivore-frugivore

• up to 230 items and 180 plant species

 

LOCOMOTION TYPE:  Quadrupedal knuckle-walking

• cautious tree-climbers

• no brachiation

• no swimming

 

SOCIAL GROUP ORGANIZATION: 

• live in groups of 4-6 adults and 2-32children, led by a dominant male silverback

 

PARENTAL CARE:  Mother is primary caregiver

 

COMMUNICATION:

• facial expressions

• 22 distinct sounds:  grunts, barks, screams, and hoots

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:  

• gorilla ‘fear odor’ (the scent of scared gorillas) can be detected in the air after encounters between Western Gorilla and leopard

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS:  Critically Endangered

Major Threats:

• Ebola Virus

• hunting

 

To learn more about Gorilla gorilla, visit the following websites:

1. http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/gorilla/taxon

2. http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/gorilla/behav

3. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/9404/0

4. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Gorilla_gorilla/

5. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Gorilla/classification/

 

Information and photographs compiled by A. Gurrola and M.A. Ramirez.