Gorillas

• Gorillas are a sub-group of the family of great apes.  They are mammals.
• There are four species of gorillas:
  • the eastern lowland or Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri);
  • the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei);
  • the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla); and
  • the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehl).
• The cross river and mountain gorillas are endangered species with under 1000 (combined) still remaining in the wild.
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  Gorilla mother and child
  
  Gorillas live in family groups of about a dozen, led by a dominant male. 
  • This dominant male is usually over a decade old and is called a "silverback" due to the silvery colored hair on his back.
  • Males younger than a decade old are called blackbacks as their hair has not yet turned silver.
  • Similar to humans, gorilla mothers are pregnant for 8.5 months and tend to give birth to only one baby at a time.  They nurse their baby for about 3 years.
• An adult male gorilla is the size of a human, but three times as heavy (they weigh up to 600 pounds).
• Although gorillas are considered plant eaters, their favorite food is termites -- the protein, minerals and fat of these little insects is important to their health.  The gorillas break open the termite nests and enjoy a feast at a leisurely pace.
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  The eyes are windows to the soul.
  
  When not eating termites, gorillas spend most of their time feeding on fruit -- they live on a diet of as many as 100 different types of fruit.
• A gorilla's arms are longer than its legs and they tend to walk on all four limbs, curling their hands into fists and "knuckle walking".
• Gorillas are most active during the day, but they are shy.
• At night, they make nests of grass and leaves to sleep in.