Gorilla Facts: Species, Diet, Behavior & Conservation

Gorillas are the largest and most powerful living primates, with adult males weighing up to 450 pounds and standing 5.5 to 6 feet tall. Despite their imposing size and strength, gorillas are gentle herbivores that live in peaceful family groups led by a dominant silverback male. These intelligent great apes share 98.3% of their DNA with humans and display complex social behaviors, emotions, and problem solving abilities. All gorilla populations face critical threats from habitat loss, poaching, and disease.

The Two Gorilla Species

There are two gorilla species divided into four subspecies. Eastern gorillas include mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas living in Central African forests. Western gorillas include western lowland gorillas and Cross River gorillas inhabiting West African forests. Mountain gorillas live at high elevations in Uganda, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo and have longer, thicker fur to withstand cold mountain temperatures. Eastern lowland gorillas are the largest subspecies. Western lowland gorillas are the most numerous but still critically endangered. Cross River gorillas are the rarest with only about 300 individuals remaining. Each subspecies has subtle differences in size, fur color, and facial features.

Physical Power and Adaptations

Gorillas possess extraordinary physical strength. Adult males are approximately 10 times stronger than adult humans despite being only about twice the weight. Their muscle mass and density far exceeds humans. Gorillas have massive skulls with pronounced brow ridges and sagittal crests where powerful jaw muscles attach. Their bite force reaches 1,300 pounds per square inch, strong enough to crush bamboo and tough vegetation. Male gorillas have arm spans up to 8.5 feet, significantly longer than their height. These long arms provide leverage for climbing and knuckle walking. Gorillas walk on all fours, supporting their weight on the knuckles of their hands. This knuckle walking allows them to use their hands for manipulation while keeping their fingers protected.

Herbivorous Diet

Gorillas are primarily herbivores that spend much of their day feeding on vegetation. An adult male consumes about 40 pounds of plant material daily. Their diet includes leaves, stems, bamboo shoots, fruits, and occasionally insects like ants and termites. Mountain gorillas eat mostly leaves and stems because fruit is scarce at high elevations. Lowland gorillas consume more fruit when available. Gorillas have large molars for grinding fibrous plants and enlarged stomachs that house bacteria to ferment cellulose. They rarely drink water because they get sufficient moisture from vegetation and morning dew. Gorillas have selective feeding habits, choosing the most nutritious parts of plants and avoiding toxic species. They travel through their territory following seasonal food availability.

Complex Social Structure

Gorillas live in stable family groups led by a dominant adult male called a silverback. The name comes from the saddle of silver gray hair that develops on mature males' backs around age 13. Groups typically contain 5 to 30 individuals including the silverback, several adult females, and their offspring. The silverback makes all group decisions including when to wake, eat, travel, and rest. He defends the group from threats and resolves conflicts between members. Silverbacks use chest beating, roaring, and charging displays to intimidate rivals and predators. Despite their fearsome displays, gorillas are peaceful and avoid violence when possible. Female gorillas often transfer between groups to avoid inbreeding. Young males leave their birth groups upon maturity to live alone or form bachelor groups until they can attract females.

Intelligence and Communication

Gorillas demonstrate sophisticated intelligence comparable to other great apes. They use tools in the wild, such as branches as walking sticks when crossing deep water and sticks to test water depth. Captive gorillas have learned hundreds of sign language symbols and demonstrate understanding of spoken language. Gorillas show self awareness by recognizing themselves in mirrors. They express complex emotions including joy, sadness, fear, and even humor. Gorillas communicate through vocalizations, facial expressions, and body language. They produce over 25 distinct vocalizations including grunts, roars, and screams for different situations. Mothers and infants communicate through soft purring sounds. The famous chest beating is communication that can be heard over a kilometer away.

Reproduction and Parental Care

Female gorillas reach sexual maturity around 8 years old while males mature around 15 years. Pregnancy lasts 8.5 months. Mothers give birth to a single infant weighing about 4 pounds. Twins are extremely rare. Infants are helpless at birth and cling to their mothers' fur. Mothers provide intensive care for 3 to 4 years. Young gorillas nurse for about 3 years and remain dependent even after weaning. Silverbacks are attentive fathers who play with young, protect them from danger, and sometimes adopt orphaned infants. The strong social bonds ensure young gorillas learn essential survival skills and social behaviors. Females typically give birth every 4 to 6 years, resulting in slow population growth.

Critical Conservation Status

All gorilla species and subspecies are critically endangered or endangered. The total wild gorilla population is approximately 100,000 individuals, with western lowland gorillas comprising most of that number. Mountain gorillas number only about 1,000 individuals. Major threats include habitat loss from logging, agriculture, and mining. Poaching for bushmeat and the illegal pet trade continues despite protection efforts. Human diseases like Ebola have devastated some populations. Civil wars and political instability in Central Africa complicate conservation. Climate change affects mountain gorilla habitat at high elevations. Conservation successes include mountain gorilla populations increasing through intensive protection. Ecotourism provides economic incentives for local communities to protect gorillas. Anti poaching patrols, habitat restoration, and veterinary care for sick individuals all contribute to gorilla conservation.