What is the largest monkey in the world? Today, the genus gorillas belongs to the hominid family, which includes humans. The largest monkey has a weight of 270 kilograms, and a height of 2 meters. And despite her terrifying appearance, she has a rather peaceful disposition.
This article will talk about this monkey. Where does the gorilla live in nature? What does it eat?
Habitat separation of monkeys
Biologists divided the monkeys into 2 large groups - these are the monkeys of the Old and New Worlds. Basically, they differ in habitat and some physiological features.
So, the first group of monkeys has narrower noses, while the second has surprisingly tenacious tails. In addition, species of Old World monkeys live in Africa and Asia, and New World monkeys only in South and Central America. In Europe, in the southern part of Spain, the only species of monkeys lives - the barbaric.
Gorilla: photos, description
Gorillas are a genus of monkeys that are the largest in the order of primates. The very first description of this animal was given in 1847 by missionary Thomas Savages from America.
The growth of adult males can range from 1.65 to 2 meters. But, there is a statement by the famous Soviet zoologist I. Akimushkin that the growth of one of the largest males of a mountain gorilla, which was killed by hunters in the early 20th century, was 2.32 meters.
The male’s shoulders can be up to one meter wide. The weight of the male gorilla on average varies from 130 to 250 kg or more. And females have a body weight of about 2 times less.
The body of gorillas, possessing tremendous strength, is massive, with developed muscles. They have strong brushes and powerful feet. Their coat has a dark color, and in adult males, a silver stripe is distinguished on the back. The eyebrow protrudes forward, the ratio of the length of the forelimbs to the length of the hind is 6 to 5.
Gorilla is an animal that can get up and move on its hind legs, but basically it walks on all fours. Gorillas, like chimpanzees, do not rely on walking on the fingertips and on the palms of their forelimbs, like many other animals, but on bent fingers (on the back). Due to this, when walking, they keep very sensitive skin intact on the inside of the brush. The gorilla has a large head with a low forehead and a rather massive jaw protruding forward and a huge roller over the eyes (photo below). The brain is approximately 600 cm 3 in volume and consists of 48 chromosomes.
Food
The main food of gorillas is plant food: wild celery, nettle, bedstraw, bamboo shoots and pytheum fruits. Addition to the main diet - fruits and nuts. Animal food (mainly insects) is a small part of the menu.
They use some types of clays as various mineral additives, which compensates for the lack of salt in food. These monkeys can do without water, since juicy greens contain a sufficient amount of moisture. They avoid ponds and do not like rains.
Where do gorillas live?
Gorillas in nature live mainly in central and western Africa, in forests. There are mountain gorillas that settled on the slopes of Virunga (a mountain of volcanic origin), covered with forest.
Moreover, they are kept, as a rule, in small groups consisting of 5-30 individuals: a male leader and several females with cubs.
Behavior features
- In places where gorillas live, groups are formed in which the leader dominates, determining the daily routine: searching for food, choosing a place to sleep, etc.
- The life of these monkeys lasts quite a long time - up to 50 years.
- Typically, females give birth to one cub, which remains with the mother until the birth of the next baby.
- In connection with deforestation, which is the place of residence of these animals, the number of gorillas is greatly reduced. In addition, poachers often hunt for them. There are few places left in the world where the gorilla lives.
- Gorillas tolerate captivity well, so they can be seen in many zoos in the world.
- Monkeys are listed as dangerous animals on Earth.
- The leader, in order to establish his authority, performs an awesome dance, which is only a threat. Even a very raging male often refrains from attacking. When attacking a person, which happens rarely, gorillas are limited to only small bites.
Gorilla aggression
Quarrels in gorilla families usually occur between females. When someone attacks a group, males usually provide protection. At the same time, aggression comes down mainly to a demonstration of one's strength and intimidation: a gorilla, rushing at an enemy, stops and hits itself in front of it in the chest.
In some tribes in Africa (where gorillas live), the wounds from the bites of these monkeys are considered the most shameful: this suggests that the person was running away and he was a coward. It often happened that hunters from Europe, seeing a monkey racing at them and killing it with a shot from a gun, then told their compatriots an exciting story about a terrible and terrible animal.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, this idea of a gorilla was quite widespread. But one should not underestimate the importance of the strength of this species of monkey - the male gorilla. There is a fact that even leopards try to avoid fights with him.
