Western Lowland Gorilla Flashcards
What is the scientific name of the Western lowland gorilla?
Gorilla gorilla gorilla.
What is the largest group of primates?
Gorillas.
Do gorillas have strong teeth?
Yes.
What are the only parts of a gorilla’s body that aren’t covered by hair?
Face, ears, hands, and feet.
What is the proper name for the enlarged ridge on top of a male gorilla’s cranium?
Saggital crest.
What are the four subspecies of gorilla?
Mountain gorilla, eastern lowland gorilla, western lowland gorilla, and the Cross river gorilla.
How do Western gorillas differ from eastern gorillas?
Western gorillas have lighter hair, shorter hair, and a narrower face than eastern ones.
How tall are male gorillas?
5.5 feet tall
How much does a large male gorilla weigh?
450 pounds
True or false? After chimpanzees, gorillas are the closest living relative of humans.
True.
How often do female gorillas go into estrus?
Once a month.
What is the gestation period of the gorilla in days?
Around 270 days
How old are male gorillas when they are mature?
6 to 10 years
How old are female gorillas when they are mature?
6 to 8
At what age do male gorillas become silverbacks?
12 to 13
How long do mother gorillas hold their young for?
Two months.
What will the young gorilla do once its mother stops holding it?
Cling to her back.
How old are gorillas when they begin to be independent from their mothers?
Two years.
True or false? The western lowland gorilla is the only subspecies of gorilla listed as endangered rather than critical.
False. It is the eastern lowland gorilla.
When are young gorillas weaned?
At about three months old.
How many years will an average gorilla live?
Wild: 35 years
Captivity: 50 years
What is the range and habitat of gorillas?
They are found in western and eastern central Africa in tropical forests.
How many different kinds of plants do gorillas eat?
Over 200
What do gorillas eat?
Fruits, flowers, shoots, insects, and leaves.
What is an average gorilla group comprised of?
1 dominant silverback, multiple females, and their offspring.
True or false? There can be multiple males in a gorilla group, provided they are black backs.
True.
what is the average group size for gorillas?
Around 10.
Why are western gorillas usually smaller than eastern gorillas?
Western gorillas rely more on seasonal fruit, so there is more competition.
True or false? Eastern lowland gorillas have the largest home range of all the gorilla species.
False. Western lowland gorillas do, because they need to constantly search for food.
Do gorillas spend more time on the ground, or in trees?
Ground.
What can cause young gorillas to take to the trees?
Lack of food.
What do gorillas build their sleeping nests out of?
Branches and leaves.
What is a bai and why do gorillas like them?
A bai is a forested area that has been cleared out by larger herbivores or storms. Gorillas like them because of the fresh vegetation growing there.
What will the alpha male gorilla do if challenged?
He will stand up, hoot, throw things, pound his chest, and roar.
Are gorillas generally aggressive animals?
No.
What does the alarm sound of a gorilla sound like?
A hoot.
Do gorillas have opposable thumbs?
Yes.
Can gorillas see color?
Yes.
True or false? The arm span of a gorilla is taller than their standing height.
True.
What is the arm span of a large male gorilla?
8 feet.
What is the gorilla’s role in its habitat?
It spreads seeds.
Why do male gorillas usually give off threatening displays?
It is usually a bluff to allow his group a chance to escape.
Why are gorillas often difficult to study?
They are very secretive.
True or false? Male gorillas will often babysit so the females can forage without being harassed by their young.
True.
What are the main threats to the gorilla?
Bushmeat, poaching, habitat loss, and ebola.
Why is forest loss a twofold threat for gorillas?
It destroys habitat and brings in hungry people to hunt gorillas.
True or false? In the eight countries where gorillas can be found, there are very strict laws protecting them.
False. The laws are not very strictly enforced.
Who was the zoologist that first shed light on the wild behavior of gorillas when he published his book “The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior” in 1963?
George B. Schaller
How much of our DNA do we share with gorillas?
Around 99%
What is the highest a mountain gorilla can be found?
14,000 feet
How long ago did the last common ancestor of us, chimps, and gorillas live?
7 million years.
When were all gorillas a single species?
The ice age.
How many western lowland gorillas are left?
100,000 in the wild and 4,000 in zoos
How many mountain gorillas are left?
About 600
Do gorillas have individual fingerprints?
Yes.
Why do gorillas rarely drink water?
They get a lot of water from what they eat.
What have gorillas been seen using as tools?
They use rocks to crack things and sticks to measure depth.
