What do gorillas eat in the wild. Photo of a gorilla - description of a gorilla - types of gorilla. Male and female gorilla: the main differences

Gorillas are found in African. In particular, they live in the following countries: Central African Republic, Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Nigeria. Gorillas are terrestrial mammals that live in forest edges or clearings, abandoned fields, swampy areas, and wet forests. They are divided into different subspecies, with each subspecies found in different parts of Africa.

The eastern mountain gorilla lives in East African countries such as Rwanda and Uganda, while the western lowland gorilla thrives in western African countries such as the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and Cameroon. The mountain gorilla is found at high altitudes in Rwanda, Uganda and Zaire.

These primates are in sharp decline and close to extinction. There are only about 50,000 gorillas left in Africa, scientists say, most of which are lowland gorillas. There are approximately 2,500 eastern lowland gorillas and about 600 mountain gorillas that are critically endangered.

Human activities are the main reasons for the continuous decline of gorilla populations every year. The fight against poachers who hunt them and sell meat in local or foreign markets is considered the biggest problem. Scientists suggest that in the wild, gorillas may completely disappear in the next 10-20 years if all illegal activities are not stopped.

The gorilla is the largest representative of the monkey family. Strong, with a massive constitution and huge fangs, they look very dangerous. But this is only an appearance - in fact, these are very gentle animals.

Gorillas are the largest primates living today.

There are two types of gorillas: the lowland gorilla, which lives in the lowland rain forests of Gabon, Cameroon, and the Congo, and the mountain gorilla, which lives only in a small area in the center of Africa, in the Virunga Mountains.

Gorillas communicate with each other not only by voice, but also by facial expressions.

They are social animals and it is natural for them to be in a group. Gorillas spend most of their time eating. Since they are vegetarians, they mainly eat leaves, young shoots, and sometimes fruits.

The gorilla's day usually begins with short walks near the nest, during which he eats leaves and grass. Lunch is a time for rest when the monkeys roam the forest or just sleep. In the afternoon, nest building begins. The leader of the group, as a rule, the strongest male, chooses a place to rest. When the leader gives a signal, all members of the flock begin to build a nest.

Listen to the voice of the gorilla

In case of danger, the gorilla can stand up and beat itself with its fists in the chest. This should alert the attacker.

Gorillas are unfortunately an endangered species. They are hunted by poachers mainly for their fur and skull.

Did you know that gorilla:

• is the largest representative of monkeys;
• can lift a weight of 980 kg;
• only about 300 mountain gorillas remain in the wild;
• adult males have silver-colored hair on their backs;
• arm span exceeds 2.5 m;
• females and young can climb a tree, while males, due to their size, usually remain on the ground;
• live up to 50 years in captivity.

Gorilla Sizes:

• height: males - 1.65-2.0 m, females - 1.4 m;
• weight: males - 160 - 225 kg (in captivity up to 270 kg), females 60-100 kg;
• life expectancy: 30-40 years (in captivity - up to 50 years, a record of 54 years).

The most interesting animals for humans are monkeys. And the reason is not only in the visual similarity of individuals, but also in the unique similarity both in behavior and in thinking. Everyone knows the story from the movie "King Kong Lives".

A hulk taller than 9 meters is fantastic, but in reality, the size of gorillas can reach quite impressive sizes. What is the largest gorilla recorded in the history of mankind, and where does the largest representative of his family now live? TOP 5 largest gorillas known to mankind in the world.

#1 Barcelona Mascot: Albino Snowball

Gorilla - a wild animal, lives in captivity half as much as in their natural environment - wild jungles and plains. It is believed that in 1964 the rarest large albino gorilla was born, which lived in captivity for 40 years. Snowball is the affectionate name of a gentle and huge wild animal that was captured and transported from Equatorial Guinea to Barcelona back in 1966.

In the central zoo of Barcelona, ​​​​Snowball has become a favorite not only for visitors, but also for all the staff. He was unique not only for his unnatural white skin and coat, but also for the color of his eyes. Albinos have all body parts white color and eyes are no exception. Snowball, on the other hand, had naturally unnatural blue eyes.

During the years of his life at the zoo, Snezhok became a father 22 times, and for the last three years the male has been battling a serious illness - skin cancer. Scientists claim that possible cause the emergence of such a complex disease was a recessive mutant genome.

After a short painful treatment, the doctors decided to euthanize the terminally ill animal. To alleviate Snowball's suffering, a painless euthanasia procedure was performed on November 24, 2003. During his life, Snowball became the owner of more than one record. Three major records are documented:

1. The largest gorilla living in captivity (at the time of 2003, Snowball was 165 cm tall and weighed 178 kg);
2. A unique albino gorilla (there are still no similar cases in nature that have been officially certified by a person);
3. The most expensive animal ever purchased by the institution (15,000 pesetas).

Snowball, over the years of living at the zoo, gave birth to 22 babies, and not one of them today has the albino gene.

#2 Biggest Slave Gorilla

The difficulties of breeding gorillas in captivity are the number of diseases and the relatively passive lifestyle. Man, trying to tame wild nature, took risks and experiments that were not always doomed to success. The first successful experiment in the world was the gorilla Kolo. She was born in captivity at the Ohio Zoo and immediately became the very first gorilla to appear in captivity, and was not brought from the wild. Her records didn't end there.

Female gorillas are half the size of males. Kolo became the largest slave gorilla.

On December 22, 1956, the gorilla Kolo was born. Immediately, life presented a lot of trials: the first few weeks the cub was in an incubator, and at the age of 6, the monkey fell ill with tuberculosis.

Adult life, bearing offspring and difficult childbirth - this and much more was extremely difficult for the female to endure. However, despite all the difficulties, Kolo became the oldest and largest gorilla in the world (100 kg and 168 cm), which lived in captivity for exactly 60 years.

The gorilla died in her sleep, shortly before her death, an operation was performed to eliminate a malignant tumor. Colo died on January 17, 2017, giving the primacy to another primate.

#3 Giant from the past

The giant gorilla is the largest gorilla on the planet. The average height of a male is 180 cm, and in some cases the weight can reach 200 kg. Cases that would help to fix larger representatives are isolated. For example, the most common story is the report of Professor Igor Akimushkin, who described in detail the largest male gorilla in the book. It is assumed that the growth of the killed animal at the beginning of the 20th century is 2.3 m.

According to bold calculations, the weight of the hulk can be more than 250 kg. The arm span with this physique is 2.5 meters. The muscle of the primate is highly developed. For example, the volume of the muscle on the arm in an adult reaches 60 cm.

Evidence and certified documentary data about such a monkey was not provided. But until that moment it was believed that the largest monkey can live exclusively in Western countries. It is known that the eastern representatives of the hominid family are the largest.

No. 4 Gigantopithecus: the largest representative of the monkeys in history

An anthropoid giant ape, over 3 meters tall. The weight of the giant could be more than 500 kg. Today, the gorilla species is considered extinct for no exact reason. The first remains were accidentally discovered in India in 1935.

Gigantopithecus lived on the planet about a million years ago. Approximate habitat - China, India and Thailand. This is confirmed by the beliefs of local residents about Etti (snowman). Despite their impressive size, the monkeys ate only plant foods.

Since the plants did not have enough of the necessary minerals and nutrients, the Gigantopithecus compensated for the quality of food with its quantity. For an adult, more than 25 kg of vegetation, insects and beetles were expected per day.

The extinction of the Gigantopithecus and its causes are not known. An assumption is made about the influence of climatic conditions, as well as the specificity of the nutrition of gorillas: during the period of climate change, food was not enough, so smaller animal species survived that managed to adapt to new living conditions.

No. 5 Representative of Virunga Park

The gorilla is a free animal that, despite its impressive size, is on the verge of extinction. Climate features and the destruction of the species for selfish purposes are the main causes of extinction. Ensuring a natural and safe environment for life is the number one task for a person.

The Virunga National Park of the Congo is located at the mouth of the Congo River, near the Virunga mountain range. This is the national pride of Africa. The park is considered the most the best place for the reproduction of the gorilla population, since this is where they are in their natural environment. The history of the creation and development of the park is fraught with risks, conflicts and military confrontations.

It cannot be said that the history of the confrontation between the poacher and nature is over: until now, animals that live under national protection are hunted.

Mountain gorillas live in the park in their natural environment, breed and are still attacked by poachers. The Republic of the Congo attracts thanks to its beauties and wild forests, in which monkeys have bred since ancient times. Mountain gorillas here reach a height of 185-190 cm, and the weight of a male is 250-280 kg. Since males are extremely negative about the approach of potential enemies, they perceive a person extremely aggressively. It will not work to get closer than 4-5 meters to the flock. That is why it is impossible to accurately determine the height and weight of each representative. However, it is known for sure that it is here that the largest gorillas in the world live, which give hope for the further development of the population.

Gorillas are the most similar to humans. There are many examples in the world when a monkey repeated the way of folding figures after a person, solved objects by colors, and even solved challenging tasks. However, despite its impressive size, the gorilla is on the verge of extinction. A huge animal needs help and protection, tenderness and attention from a weaker but smarter Homo Sapiens. Only in this case can we talk about the continuation of the friendship between man and monkey.

The largest of all hominids known to science (family Hominidae) was Gigantopithecus (genus Gigantopithecus), which by a large margin surpassed not only its closest relatives hominids, but also all other primates (order Primates).
Currently, three species of this genus are known - Black's gigantopithecus (Gigantopithecus blacki), Bilaspur gigantopithecus (Gigantopithecus bilaspurensis) and giant gigantopithecus (Gigantopithecus giganteus). The largest of the Gigantopithecus was Black's Gigantopithecus. It is believed that this hominid, standing on two legs, reached its maximum height of 3 meters and a maximum weight of 540 kg.
The giant Gigantopithecus, despite its name, was significantly inferior to it in size. The Bilaspur Gigantopithecus was the closest relative of Black's Gigantopithecus and apparently also surpassed the so-called giant Gigantopithecus in size.
Gigantopithecus male compared to human silhouette:

Honorary second place belongs to the meganthropus (Meganthropus). Meganthrope is the largest subspecies of the species that preceded us - Homo erectus. However, specifically the meganthrope was not our ancestor, but represented the lateral (dead-end) branch of Homo erectus. Apparently, the meganthrope belongs to the subspecies Homo erectus palaeojavanicus (but so far this remains in question). The maximum growth of the meganthrope is estimated at 2.44 meters, and the maximum weight is 272 kg (the minimum is 181 kg). Thus, the meganthrope is the largest upright primate that has ever existed on Earth.

Male meganthrope in comparison with a man:

The third place belongs to all of us familiar gorilla (Gorilla genus). Two species of gorillas live in modern fauna - the western, or ordinary gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) and the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei), which is sometimes called the mountain gorilla, although this name is more correctly applied to only one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla - Gorilla beringei beringei. The second subspecies of the eastern gorilla is Gorilla beringei graueri (eastern lowland gorilla).
It is difficult to say which of the two species of gorillas is the largest. On average, the western gorilla reaches a larger size than the eastern, although the latter is somewhat more massive. According to some sources, the average weight of male western gorillas from zoos is about 157 kg, and the average height is about 155 cm. According to other sources, the average weight of males is 180 kg, and the average height is about 175 cm. The maximum weight is given at 275 kg.
For male eastern gorillas, according to some sources, the average weight is indicated at 140-205.5 kg, and the average height is about 170 cm. And the maximum weight and height are 266 kg and 183 cm, respectively. According to other sources, the average weight of males is about 160 kg, and the maximum is 200 kg. And growth, taking into account both sexes, varies from 150 to 185 cm.

Western gorilla male:

Eastern gorilla male:

The fourth place is shared by our species - a reasonable person (Homo sapeins) with one of the largest modern primates - orangutans (genus Pongo). Two species of this genus live in modern fauna - the Kalimantan or Bornean orangutan (Pongo pigmaeus) and the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii).
The largest subspecies (race) of Homo sapiens was Cro-Magnon. Modern people can also reach the same large and even large sizes, but on average they are inferior to it. The average height of Cro-Magnon men was about 185-190 cm, about the same as modern Scandinavians. Some African tribes, such as the Turakana, have even greater average heights. However, Cro-Magnons had a more massive physique and thicker bone walls than modern people. The maximum weight of a modern person, in sportswear with a very muscular body and the highest possible height, is about 150-160 kg and even a little more.
As for orangutans, both species are approximately the same size, but the Kalimantan orangutan, on average, is still somewhat inferior to its Sumatran relative. The average weight of mature male Kalimantan orangutans is about 75 kg, and the height varies from about 120 to 140 cm. According to other sources, the average height of males is 97 cm, and the weight is 87 kg.
The average weight of male Sumatran orangutans is approximately 90 kg, and the height is about 140 cm. According to other sources, large male Sumatran orangutans can reach a height of 180 cm.
It is difficult to say who is larger, a person, or an orangutan, in view of the fact that in orangutans sexual dimorphism in size is more pronounced than in ours. By their own maximum dimensions and body weight, people are still slightly superior to orangutans, but the average weight of the latter is slightly higher than that of Homo sapiens men. But the women of our species, both on average and in terms of maximum indicators, are significantly superior in size and body weight to orangutan females.

Cro-Magnon man, one of the Madeleine deer hunters:

Male Kalimantan orangutan:

Male Sumatran orangutan:

Fifth place belongs to paranthorpes (Paranthropus) - a close genus to our distant predecessors Australopithecus (genus Australopithecus). Often, especially in older literature, they are called massive Austrolapithecines.
Currently, three species of this genus are known - the Ethiopian Paranthropus (Paranthropus aethiopicus), the Beuys Paranthropus (Paranthropus boisei) and the massive Paranthropus (Paranthropus robustus).
The largest and most massive representative of this genus was, despite its name, not a massive paranthropus, but Boyce's paranthropus. He reached a height of 140 cm with a maximum weight (according to some sources) of 90 kg. Unfortunately, the exact dimensions of the Ethiopian Paranthropus are unknown to me at the moment. As for the so-called massive Paranthropus, it seems to have been the smallest (or at least one of the smallest) representative of its kind. The height of the males of this species, as a rule, was about 120, and the weight was about 54 kg. However, the teeth of the massive Paranthropus were comparable in size to those of the larger Paranthropus Boyce.

Male Paranthropus Boyce:

Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)- the largest monkey of the family of anthropoid detachment of primates (Primates).

The height of adult males is up to 175 cm and more, the arm span is up to 260 cm, the chest girth is up to 152 cm, and they weigh 135–180 kg (up to 300 kg in captivity).

Females are much smaller (weigh 75–110 kg, up to 126 in captivity).

The hair is black, on the crown it is chestnut in color, on the back it becomes gray with age. The head is large, the eyebrows protrude strongly, the body is massive, the upper limbs are longer than the lower ones.

Similarities in the structure of the body with a person are partly explained by the terrestrial way of life. The volume of the brain box is 500–600 cubic meters. cm (up to 752 cc), the brain is similar in structure to the human brain. Chromosomes - 48 (in humans 46).

Gorillas are common in Equatorial Africa. 3 subspecies: western lowland gorilla and larger eastern - mountain and lowland. They live in tropical or mountain forests.

They live in small herds (5-30 individuals), led by mighty males. On the ground they move on four limbs. Sometimes they climb trees. Vegetable food - fruits, berries, nuts.

At night they build nests on the ground or in trees. The gestation period is from 250 to 290 days: a newborn weighs about 2 kg. Life expectancy in the wild is 25–30 years. As a result of hunting, they are heavily exterminated; are under protection. Captivity is poorly tolerated, rarely breeds.

In Uganda, a French-Ugandan team of researchers discovered the remains of a large prehistoric monkey. Found fragments, including a significant number of teeth and a piece of skin, allow us to conclude with certainty that the monkey belongs to a species unknown so far.

Judging by the remains, the monkey must have reached the size of a female gorilla, that is, it was larger than all fossil monkeys known to science. According to a specialist from the French Museum of Natural History, the excavations suggest that "there were a significant number of monkeys in Africa during this period of the Miocene, which promises further finds." The fossil, found in an area called Napak, was given the name Ugandapithecus major.

“Intelligent” gorilla puzzled primatologists

A young female gorilla of two and a half years would have lived in complete obscurity in one of the small reserves in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), if by chance the park staff had not caught her doing a curious activity: a monkey chopped nuts laid out on another stone with a stone oil palm to feast on the pulp.

For scientists studying the behavior of gorillas, it became a worldwide sensation. The fact is that the use of the “hammer and anvil” method is considered one of the most difficult technical methods of obtaining food by great apes, and such behavior has never been recorded among gorillas before.

The "dossier" of the quick-witted gorilla, which received given name Itebero (by the name of the area where it was first discovered, taken from poachers).

It was found that no tricks were taught to the monkey. But until now, in primatology, it was believed that the only ones capable of mastering the "hammer and anvil" technique from the entire family of pongids - great apes - are chimpanzees.

Moreover, for this they need not even months, but years of sessions of copying human actions with constant contact with the trainer.

Itebero in the tropical forests of Eastern Congo, no one taught this.

It follows, said Gottfried Hohmann, a primatologist at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, that gorillas are smarter than hitherto thought.

Reports of an "intelligent" gorilla have sparked a response from scientists studying these animals in neighboring country- Republic of the Congo.

American primatologist Thomas Breuer, who has been conducting observations in the Nuabale-Ndoki National Park for more than a decade, said that in all this time he had only twice observed how his "wards" used improvised means to solve problems.

One time, a gorilla used a log as a floating bridge to get to the other side of a river. Another time, with the help of a stick, she tried to find out the depth of the pond.