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Mountain Gorilla
Mountain Gorilla Facts
| Kingdom: Five groups that classify all living things | Animalia |
| Phylum: A group of animals within the animal kingdom | Chordata |
| Class: A group of animals within a pylum | Mammalia |
| Order: A group of animals within a class | Primates |
| Family: A group of animals within an order | Hominidae |
| Genus: A group of animals within a family | Gorilla |
| Scientific Name: The name of the animal in science | Gorilla Berengei Berengei |
| Type: The animal group that the species belongs to | Mammal |
| Diet: What kind of foods the animal eats | Omnivore |
| Size: How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is | 1.5-1.8m (5-6ft) |
| Weight: The measurement of how heavy the animal is | 204-227kg (450-500lbs) |
| Top Speed: The fastest recorded speed of the animal | 40km/h (25mph) |
| Lifespan: How long the animal lives for | 35-50 years |
| Lifestyle: Whether the animal is solitary or sociable | Social |
| Conservation Status: The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct | Endangered |
| Colour: The colour of the animal's coat or markings | Black, Brown, Grey |
| Skin Type: The protective layer of the animal | Hair |
| Favourite Food: The preferred food of this animal | Leaves |
| Habitat: The specific area where the animal lives | Tropical forest and jungles in mountainous regions |
| Average Litter Size: The average number of babies born at once | 1 |
| Main Prey: The food that the animal gains energy from | Leaves, Seeds, Herbs |
| Predators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animal | Human, Leopard |
| Special Features: Characteristics unique to this animal | Sociable habits and agile hands and feet |
Mountain Gorilla Location
Map of Africa
Mountain Gorilla
There are two species of the mountain gorilla, both of which are found in the highlands in eastern Africa. One of these is found in the volcanic mountains of Virunga in Central Africa, with the mountain gorilla having a habitat range across 4 national parks throughout the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The other mountain gorilla species is found in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The mountain gorilla is one of the largest primates in the world with the male mountain gorilla, known as a silverback, often growing to twice the size of a female mountain gorilla.
The mountain gorilla has longer fur covering the mountain gorillas body when compared to other gorilla species, allowing the mountain gorilla to be able to withstand both hot and cold temperatures. The mountain gorilla has also taken to living mainly on the ground but is capable of hauling its enormous weight to around 6m high above the ground, when the mountain gorilla is looking to feed on fruits and berries that are inaccessible from the ground.
The mountain gorilla is diurnal and spends most of its waking life eating. The mountain gorilla is a highly sociable mammal and lives in groups of between 5 and 30 individuals, which includes a mix of both male and female mountain gorillas. The alpha male mountain gorilla tends to rule for around 5 years, and as these mountain gorilla groups are non-territorial, the alpha male mountain gorilla will defend his group rather than a particular territory. Around 60% of mountain gorillas, both male and female, with leave the mountain gorilla group that they are born into and will either join another group of mountain gorillas but will more likely, start their own group.
The mountain gorilla is said to be one of the closest living relatives to the human as the mountain gorillas hands are almost identical to the hands of a human being.
The mountain gorilla is a critically endangered species as the mountain gorilla population has diminished rapidly through loss of habitat and illegal poaching. Scientists however have recently revealed that the mountain gorilla population in a nature reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo has increased despite the war that is ongoing in that area of Africa.
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First Published: 4th February 2009, Last Updated: 8th November 2019
1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 04 Feb 2009]
2. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2011]
3. David W. Macdonald, Oxford University Press (2010) The Encyclopedia Of Mammals [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2010]
4. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 04 Feb 2009]
5. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species [Accessed at: 04 Feb 2009]
6. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 04 Feb 2009]
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