Gorilla (redirected from Gorillinae)

gorilla, an ape, Gorilla gorilla, native to the lowland and mountain forests of western and central equatorial Africa. It is the largest of the apes, the males reaching a height of 5 to 6 ft (150–190 cm) with a 9-ft (144–cm) arm spread. Males weigh about 450 lb (200 kg) in the wild; in zoos they become obese and may reach 600 lb (270 kg) or more. The two species of gorilla are the western, comprising the western lowland (G. gorilla gorilla) and Cross River (G. gorilla diehli) gorillas, and the eastern, comprising the eastern lowland (G. beringei graueri) and mountain G. beringei beringei gorillas. The Cross River gorilla of the Nigeria-Cameroon border region and the mountain gorilla of Rwanda, Congo (Kinshasa), and Uganda each number in the hundreds and are closest to extinction. The western lowland gorilla is the most numerous, with some 100,000 individuals. Male gorillas have prominent sagittal crests and brow ridges and large canine teeth; these features are less developed in females. Females are smaller than males, weigh about half as much, and do not develop the gray hair on the back characteristic of the sexually mature male. Dominant older males, called silverbacks, usually lead stable harem societies of 2 to 30 females and juvenile males in a daily search for food. The animals normally walk on all fours, resting their upper body on their knuckles. They are vegetarians, living on a variety of vines, leaves, fruit, roots, and bark. Mountain gorillas eat wild celery, bamboo shoots, nettles, thistles, and sometimes certain soils or a rare form of fungus. Adolescents and small females may climb trees in search of food and to build arboreal nests for sleeping. Adults of both sexes build ground nests daily. Quiet and retiring in temperament when compared to the excitable chimpanzee, gorillas have been known to attack humans in defense of their family group. Gorillas normally rely on bluffs, roaring and beating their chests to frighten intruders. Their main enemies are human poachers; in the lowlands, leopards may sometimes eat the young. Females bear one infant about every four years; the child is carried in the mother's arms and then on her back. Females mature in 8 or 9 years, males in 11 or 12; gorillas may live more than 40 years. Gorillas are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Primates, family Pongidae.

Bibliography

See D. Fossey, Gorillas in the Mist (1983); J. Shreeve, Nature: The Other Earthlings (1987).

---

gorilla

Male gorilla (Gorilla gorilla).

(credit: Kenneth W. Fink/Root Resources)

Largest of the great apes. A stocky, powerful forest dweller native to equatorial Africa, the gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) has black skin and hair, large nostrils, and prominent brow ridges. Adults have long, powerful arms; short, stocky legs; an extremely thick, strong chest; and a protruding abdomen. Adult males have a prominent crest on top of the skull and a “saddle” of gray or silver hairs on the lower part of the back. Males, about twice as heavy as females, may reach a height of about 5.5 ft (1.7 m) and a weight of 300–600 lbs (135–275 kg). Gorillas are mainly terrestrial, walking about on all four limbs. They live in stable family groups of six to 20 animals that are led by one or two silverbacked males. They eat leaves, stalks, and shoots. They are unaggressive and even shy unless provoked. They are calmer and more persistent than chimpanzees; though not as adaptable, gorillas are highly intelligent and capable of problem solving. The gorilla is hunted for its body parts and meat, and its habitat is disappearing. It is an endangered species throughout its range; the mountain subspecies is critically endangered.

---

gorilla

the largest anthropoid ape, Gorilla gorilla, inhabiting the forests of central W Africa. It is stocky and massive, with a short muzzle and coarse dark hair

---

gorilla [gə′ril·ə]

(vertebrate zoology)

Gorilla gorilla.An anthropoid ape, the largest living primate; the two African subspecies are the lowland gorilla and the mountain gorilla.

---

Gorilla 

(Gorilla gorilla), the largest ape, a member of the family Pongidae of the order Primates.

The adult male grows to a height of 175 cm, with an arm spread of up to 260 cm, a chest girth of up to 152 cm. and a weight of from 135 to 180 kg (in captivity, up to 300 kg). The females are much smaller, weighing 75–110 kg (up to 126 kg in captivity). The hair is black and on the top of the head, chestnut-colored; with age it turns gray along the back. The head is large, with a markedly protruding forehead. The trunk is massive, and the upper limbs are longer than the lower ones. Similarities in body construction to that of humans are partially explained by the gorilla’s terrestrial way of life. The volume of the cranium is 500–600 cu cm (up to 752 cu cm), and the brain is similar in construction to that of a human. There are 48 chromosomes.

Gorillas are found in Equatorial Africa. There are three subspecies: the western lowland gorilla, the eastern mountain gorilla, and the eastern lowland gorilla, the last two being larger than the first. They live in tropical or mountain forests and in small herds (of five to 30 individuals) led by powerful males. On the ground they move on all fours. Sometimes they climb trees. They are herbivorous, eating fruits, berries, and nuts. At night they live in nests built on the ground or in trees. The gestation period is from 250 to 290 days: the newborn gorilla weighs about 2 kg. Longevity in the wild is 25–30 years. As a result of sport hunting, their numbers have been greatly reduced, and they are now protected. They do not thrive in captivity and rarely reproduce.

REFERENCES

Schaller. G. B. God pod znakom gorilly. Moscow, 1968. (Translated from English.)
Napier, J. R., and P. H. Napier. A Handbook of Living Primates. London-New York, 1967.

M. F. NESTURKH