EASTERN LOWLAND GORILLA

NAME OF ANIMALDESCRIPTION
GORILLATHE EASTERN LOWLAND GORILLA, ALSO KNOWN AS GRAUER’S GORILLA, IS THE LARGEST OF THE FOUR GORILLA SUBSPECIES AND THE LARGEST LIVING PRIMATE ON EARTH. THEY ARE DISTINGUISHABLE BY THEIR STOCKY BUILD, LARGE HANDS, AND SHORTER FUR COMPARED TO OTHER GORILLA SPECIES.
MEASUREMENTMALEFEMALEEQUAL
HEAD TO BODY LENGTH37.4-47.2 ( 95-120 cm )THE BODY LENGTH OF A FEMALE EASTERN LOWLAND GORILLA TYPICALLY RANGES FROM 37.4 TO 47.2 INCHES (95 TO 120 CM).
SHOULDER HEIGHTMALES STAND BETWEEN 1.69 TO 1.96 METRES (5 FT 7 IN TO 6 FT 5 IN),FEMALES REACH 1.6 METRES (5.2 FT)
WEIGHTMALES WEIGH BETWEEN 150 AND 209 KILOGRAMS (331 AND 461 LB) BASED ON FOUR MALESFEMALES OF 76 KILOGRAMS (168 LB) ALTHOUGH THIS HAD A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE.
CHARACTERISTICSDESCRIPTION
RANGETHE EASTERN LOWLAND GORILLA (GORILLA BERINGEI GRAUERI) IS PRIMARILY FOUND IN THE MOUNTAINOUS FORESTS OF EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
HABITAT THE EASTERN LOWLAND GORILLA HAS THE WIDEST ALTITUDINAL RANGE OF ANY OF THE GORILLA SUBSPECIES, BEING FOUND IN MOUNTAINOUS, TRANSITIONAL AND LOWLAND TROPICAL FORESTS
PRIMARY DIETALTHOUGH GORILLAS ARE TECHNICALLY OMNIVORES, THEY ARE MOSTLY HERBIVOROUS, EATING LEAVES, STEMS, BARK, FLOWERS, AND FRUITS. THEY ALSO EAT INSECTS AND SMALL VERTEBRATES, BUT ONLY RARELY.
FOOD HABITATSTHE EASTERN LOWLAND GORILLA PRIMARILY FEEDS ON A VARIETY OF PLANT-BASED FOODS, INCLUDING FRUITS, LEAVES, STEMS, AND OCCASIONALLY INSECTS.
CONSERVATION STATUS THE POPULATION HAS DECLINED BY OVER 50% SINCE THE 1990S, WITH ESTIMATES DROPPING FROM NEARLY 17,000 TO ABOUT 4,600 SQUARE MILES OF THEIR HISTORICAL RANGE.
REASON FOR THE STATUSTHREATS INCLUDE HABITAT LOSS, POACHING, CIVIL UNREST, AND DISEASE, WHICH HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED THEIR POPULATION
CHARACTERISTICSDESCRIPTION: REPRODUCTION & BEHAVIOR
GESTATION PERIOD8.5 MONTHS
YOUNG PER BIRTHONE INFANT PER YEAR
WEANINGTHREE TO FIVE YEARS OF AGE
LIFESTYLETHEY LIVE IN GROUP CALLED TROOP OF GORILLAS
SEXUAL MATURITY7-8 YEARS OF AGE
BEHAVIOREASTERN LOWLAND GORILLAS ARE HIGHLY SOCIAL ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN GROUPS CALLED TROOPS, TYPICALLY LED BY A DOMINANT SILVERBACK MALE, AND EXHIBIT COMPLEX SOCIAL BEHAVIORS AND STRONG FAMILIAL BONDS.
MAIN PREADATORTHE PREDATORS OF EASTERN GORILLAS INCLUDE:
LEOPARDS: THEY ARE ONE OF THE PRIMARY PREDATORS, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG GORILLAS.
2
CROCODILES: OCCASIONALLY, CROCODILES MAY POSE A THREAT TO EASTERN GORILLAS.
1
OTHER LARGE PREDATORS: YOUNG GORILLAS CAN BE VULNERABLE TO VARIOUS LARGE PREDATORS.
1
ADULT EASTERN GORILLAS HAVE FEW NATURAL PREDATORS DUE TO THEIR SIZE AND STRENGTH.
LIFESPAN IN THE WILD
30-40 YEARS IN THE WILD
LIFESPAN IN CAPTIVITY60 YEARS IN CAPTIVITY