There are three kinds of gorillas: the western lowl& gorilla, the eastern lowl& gorilla, & the mountain gorilla. All three live in Africa. The western lowl& gorilla is found in the tropical rain forests of West Africa. The eastern lowl& gorilla & the mountain gorilla live in the rain forests of east-central Africa.The largest of the great apes is the gorilla. After the chimpanzee, it is the closest living relative to humans. Although gorillas have been portrayed in books & movies as fierce creatures, they are actually very peaceful & gentle animals.Gorillas are active during the day. They live in family groups of 6 to 20 animals that are led by one or two silverback males. Gorillas walk on all four limbs, supporting part of their weight on the knuckles of its h&s. They rarely st& up straight. Gorillas spend most of their time on the ground, but they can climb trees to feed.Gorillas eat a vegetarian diet that includes such foods as leaves, stalks, & shoots. Much of a gorilla's day is spent feeding & resting. At dusk, each gorilla builds a nest of branches & leaves. Gorillas make a new nest each night, either on the ground or in the trees.Although they can appear ferocious when faced with an outsider, gorillas are rarely aggressive. However, the male leader will defend the group if danger threatens. He may beat his chest, make loud sounds, & make short rushes toward the intruder.Gorillas are powerful animals. Males are about twice as heavy as females & may grow as tall as 51/2 feet (1.7 meters). Males living in the wild may weigh as much as 300 to 600 pounds (140 to 270 kilograms). Captive gorillas may grow quite fat & so can be much heavier.Adult gorillas have long, strong arms & short, stocky legs. The chest is very thick & strong. Males have a bony crest on top of the head & a “saddle” of gray or silver hairs on the lower part of the back. For this reason, older males are called silverbacks.
Gorillas have black skin & hair, large nostrils, & deep-set eyes. They are larger than chimpanzees but have smaller ears. Their face, h&s, & feet do not haGorillas have become increasingly rare. Humans have cut down much of the apes' forest home for farming & logging. Illegal hunting has threatened gorillas as well. The mountain gorilla is considered endangered. Fewer than 1,000 of these apes remain in the wild.A female gorilla in the wild gives birth about once every four years. She usually has only one baby. A newborn gorilla weighs only about 41/2 pounds (2 kilograms) & is helpless for the first three months of life. The young gorilla sleeps in its mother's nest at night & rides on her back during the day. The life expectancy of a wild gorilla is about 30 years. Captive gorillas have lived into their 40s.ve hair.
