Western lowland gorilla silverback

Western lowland gorilla

Real troopers!
Type
giant panda

Mammals

Area
Map highlighting Central Africa
Central Africa
Endangered Status

Endangered

facts

size
5 to 6 feet
tall
An average refrigerator is 5.8 feet tall.
Gorilla compared to a refrigerator
food
plants
Herbivore
plant eater

Gorillas eat leaves, fruit, and seeds. They sometimes also eat insects.

habitat
rainforest
Rainforest habitat leaves

description

Silverback gorilla

The big "guys"

Gorillas are the largest primates in the world. Adult males can weigh 500 pounds. These big guys are also known as silverbacks because of the color of the fur on their backs. Female gorillas are smaller than males.

Gorilla troop members including a mother and baby eating kale

Terrific troops

Although they are sometimes shown in movies as being mean or scary, gorillas are very gentle animals. They live in groups called troops that contain a silverback, many females, and offspring. The troop travels around the forest together looking for food during the day. At night, each gorilla makes a nest to sleep in on the ground or up in a tree. A baby gorilla sleeps in its mother's nest until it is 4 to 6 years old.

Gorilla mom and baby

Vanishing spaces

Gorillas are endangered for a number of reasons. The forests they live in are being cut down by people, leaving the gorillas less space to find food and shelter. The loss of forests also makes it easier for hunters to find the gorillas.

Quiz

At night, a gorilla sleeps in a
nest
cave