Characteristics of Mountain Gorillas
Characteristics of Mountain Gorillas
Characteristics of Mountain Gorillas; Mountain gorillas are wild endangered apes inhabiting the central part of Africa in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.
They are found in the Virungas bordering Rwanda and Congo and in Uganda; they are inhabited in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park in the southwest part of Uganda.
Mountain gorillas share approximately 98% of their DNA with human beings after chimpanzees and baboons.
Some of the characteristics of mountain gorillas are
They inhabit the tropical rainforest with thick bamboo trees.
Mountain gorillas are the largest wild primates; western lowland gorillas are 1.7 meters in body length and 165 kilos. Adult females have a height of 1.5 meters and weigh about 71.5 kg. While the adult male (silverback) weighs 220 kg, the females weigh about 97.7 kg.
The dentition part of mountain gorillas: they have 32 teeth—the same as human beings. The teeth are large and strong, which can break down the vegetation they consume.
They develop big, sharp teeth as they mature into adults. Their type of set of teeth is similar to that of humans; during their lifetime they develop milk teeth, which are later replaced by their permanent set of teeth.
Mountain gorillas are distinguished in terms of the shape and wrinkles in the nose; actually, they are called nose prints, and sometimes it’s hard to tell if a mountain gorilla has a tail. Well, mountain gorillas do not have tails like the monkeys.
Mountain gorillas have larger muscles in their arms than in their legs and this is because they use their arm strength for gathering and bending, although they often walk on their four limbs.
The arms are longer than the legs; they have about a 30 cm arm span longer than that of humans.
Their upper body is 6 times more powerful than that of humans; the body enables them to squeeze and lift heavy objects.
Mountain Gorillas live in groups of 10-15 members in the family.
The family is led by a silverback, which is in control. When it glows, it acquires silver-grey hair across the bark; the hair differentiates it from other gorillas, which have dark skin and black to brown-grey hair.
A mountain gorilla’s shape is distinctive; the stomach is larger than their chests. Their stomach size is large because of their intestines, which contain the bulky vegetables they consume.
Mountain gorillas have a lifespan of 30-40 years in the wild; during their lifespan, a female goes through a gestation period of 8 months, giving birth to one or two infants every two years.
Mountain gorillas feed on vegetation, fruits and leaves during their long day of moving; during the night hours, they display their nests for resting.
As early said, gorillas are close relatives of humans; they act as humans in their day-to-day life, including feeding, protecting their families to death, and grooming the silverbacks and their young ones. It’s such a worthy experience.
After getting to know the characteristics of mountain gorillas, you ought to visit the mountain gorillas to have an unforgettable experience in your lifetime.
