Gorillas are the gentle giants of the African jungle. You likely picture them beating their chests, but they are actually peaceful vegetarians. They share a shocking amount of DNA with us. Furthermore, they express complex emotions like joy and sadness. A single silverback leads his family with quiet authority. Let’s explore the life of our close cousins.
Gorillas
Humans share roughly 98% of their DNA with gorillas. Consequently, these primates can catch human illnesses like the common cold easily. Therefore, tourists must keep a safe distance to protect the animals from deadly viruses.
Scientists identify individual gorillas by their nose prints. Remarkably, every gorilla possesses a unique nose wrinkle pattern, just like human fingerprints. Thus, researchers track them in the wild without using invasive tags.
These massive animals build a fresh bed every single night. Diligently, they weave branches and leaves together to create a soft nest on the ground. Sometimes, they even build these nests high up in the trees.
Gorillas rarely drink standing water from lakes or rivers. Instead, they absorb almost all the moisture they need from the succulent plants they eat.
A silverback gorilla possesses incredible physical strength. Impressively, one adult male is roughly ten times stronger than the average human. Easily, he can bend iron bars or crush a crocodile’s skull if necessary.
They hum and sing happy songs while they eat. Specifically, this behavior expresses their contentment with their favorite meal. Usually, the dominant male sings the loudest to signal mealtime to the rest of the group.
Koko the gorilla famously learned to communicate with humans. Amazingly, she mastered over 1,000 words in American Sign Language during her life. She even kept a pet kitten and named it “All Ball.”
Adult males develop silver hair on their backs. Significantly, this color change signals sexual maturity and their status as the group leader. Younger males with black backs must submit to the silverback’s authority.
They have 32 teeth, exactly the same number as humans. However, their canine teeth grow much longer and sharper for fighting rivals. Despite this, they use these teeth mostly to chew tough bamboo stems.
Mothers carry their babies for nearly nine months. Naturally, this pregnancy period is almost identical to human mothers. After birth, the baby clings to her chest for safety for several years.
Leopards serve as the only natural predator for adult gorillas. However, a silverback will fight a leopard to the death to protect his troop. Often, the big cat retreats rather than face the angry, powerful male.
They display complex emotions including grief and laughter. Touchingly, they mourn their dead family members for days after they pass away. Conversely, young gorillas tickle each other and laugh out loud while playing.
They eat up to 40 pounds of vegetation daily. Constantly, they spend half their day chewing leaves, stems, and fruit to maintain their size. This massive diet supports their heavy, muscular bodies.
They walk on their knuckles rather than their palms. This specialized movement protects their fingers while they travel across rough terrain. Over time, the skin on their knuckles becomes extremely thick and tough.
Gorillas live in tight-knit family groups called troops or bands. Loyal members stay together for years under the protection of one dominant male. If the leader dies, the group usually splits up or finds a new protector.
