Which is the biggest monkey in the world? Today, the genus of gorillas belongs to the family of hominids, which includes humans. In the largest monkey, the weight reaches 270 kilograms, and the height is 2 meters. And despite her terrifying appearance, she has a rather peaceful disposition.
This article will focus on this monkey. Where does the gorilla live in nature? What does it eat?
Separation of monkeys by habitat
Biologists divided the monkeys into 2 large groups - these are the monkeys of the Old and New Worlds. Basically, they differ in habitat and some physiological features.
So, the first group of monkeys have narrower noses, while the second ones have amazingly prehensile tails. In addition, Old World monkey species live in Africa and Asia, while New World monkeys live only in South and Central America. In Europe, in the southern part of Spain, the only species of monkeys lives - barbary.
Gorilla: photo, description
Gorillas are a genus of monkeys that are the largest in the order of primates. The very first description of this animal was given in 1847 by missionary Thomas Savagemes from America.
The growth of adult males can range from 1.65 to 2meters. But, there is a statement by the famous Soviet zoologist I. Akimushkin that the growth of one of the largest male mountain gorillas, which was killed by hunters at the beginning of the 20th century, was 2.32 meters.
The male's shoulders can be up to one meter wide. The weight of a male gorilla on average varies from 130 to 250 kg or more. And females have a body weight approximately 2 times less.
The body of gorillas with great strength, massive, with developed muscles. They have strong hands and powerful feet. Their coat is dark in color, and adult males have a silver stripe on their backs. The superciliary protrudes forward, the ratio of the length of the forelimbs to the length of the hind limbs is 6 to 5.
A gorilla is an animal that can stand up and move around on its hind legs, but it mostly walks on all fours. Gorillas, like chimpanzees, do not rely on the pads of their fingers and on the palms of their forelimbs, like many other animals, but on bent fingers (on the back) when walking. Thanks to this, when walking, they keep very sensitive skin intact on the inside of the hand. A gorilla has a large head with a low forehead and a rather massive jaw protruding forward and a huge roller above the eyes (photo below). The brain is approximately 600 cm in volume3 and consists of 48 chromosomes.
Food
The main diet of gorillas is plant foods: wild celery, nettle, bedstraw, bamboo shoots and pygeum fruits. Supplement to the main diet - fruits and nuts. Animal food (mostlyinsects) represents a small part of the menu.
As a variety of mineral additives, they use some types of clay, and this compensates for the lack of s alt in food. These monkeys can do without water, as juicy greens contain a sufficient amount of moisture. They avoid bodies of water and dislike rain.
Where do gorillas live?
Gorillas in nature live mainly in central and western Africa, in forests. There are also mountain gorillas that inhabited the slopes of Virunga (mountain of volcanic origin), covered with forest.
Moreover, they usually keep in small groups, consisting of 5-30 individuals: a male leader and several females with cubs.
Features of behavior
- In places where gorillas live, groups are formed in which the leader dominates, determining the daily routine: searching for food, choosing a place to sleep, etc.
- The life of these monkeys lasts quite a long time - up to 50 years.
- Usually, females give birth to one cub, which stays with the mother until the birth of the next baby.
- Due to deforestation, which is the habitat of these animals, the number of gorillas is greatly reduced. In addition, poachers often hunt them. There are few places left in the world where the gorilla lives.
- Gorillas tolerate captivity well, so they can be seen in many zoos around the world.
- Monkeys are listed as dangerous animals on Earth.
- The leader performs a frightening dance to assert authority,posing only a threat. Even a very raging male often refrains from attacking. When attacking a human, which happens rarely, gorillas are limited to only small bites.
Gorilla Aggression
Usually quarrels in gorilla families occur between females. When a group is attacked, the males usually provide protection. At the same time, aggression comes down mainly to demonstrating its strength and intimidation: the gorilla, rushing at the enemy, stops and beats itself in the chest in front of him.
Some tribes in Africa (where gorillas live) consider bite wounds from these monkeys to be the most shameful: this indicates that the person was running away and he is a coward. It often happened that hunters from Europe, seeing a monkey rushing at them and killing it with a shot from a gun, later told their compatriots a fascinating story about a terrible and terrible animal.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, this idea of a gorilla was quite widespread. But one should not underestimate the significance of the strength of this species of monkey - the male gorilla. There is a fact that even leopards try to avoid fights with him.
In conclusion about reproduction and attitude to offspring
Where gorillas live, you can see a touching picture: a female mother takes care of her cub. She acts as a loving and caring mother. The male represents the patient and calm father.
Up to 8.5 months is the gestation period for gorillas. After the birth of a cub whose weight isabout 2 kilograms, mom wears it on herself, feeds and protects. His life is completely dependent on the care of his mother until almost the age of three, after which he becomes an independent representative of the group.
Puberty in females occurs between 10 and 12 years, and males mature at 11-13 years (in captivity this occurs earlier). The female gives birth once every 3-5 years.
