Common chimpanzees are sometimes called chimps or robust chimpanzees. They live in Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Cameroon, Nigeria, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These chimpanzees are found in woodlands, grasslands, and rainforests.
They live in social groups of about 20 to 150 members, but during the day, they usually move in smaller groups. In the evening, they come together to build nests in trees where they sleep as a group. Males move around to protect others in the group, and there is always a leader. Male chimpanzees are usually more dominant than females.
Chimpanzees are very intelligent. Some have passed the mirror test, meaning they can recognize themselves in a mirror. They use tools, such as sticks to collect termites from holes and stones to crack nuts. Some chimpanzees can even remember and use symbols.
Common chimpanzees are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. The biggest threats to them are habitat loss, hunting by humans, diseases, and sometimes being hunted by leopards.
Chimpanzees can learn and use human sign language. One famous chimpanzee named Washoe was taught 151 signs of American Sign Language in the 1960s by Allen and Beatrix Gardner. Washoe even taught some signs to other chimpanzees. Chimpanzees also enjoy physical contact like tickling, wrestling, and playing. They sometimes hunt together, with each chimpanzee having a role, and then they share the meat after the hunt.
Female chimpanzees can mate with more than one male in their group. Sometimes, they even leave their group to mate with males from other groups. A female is pregnant for about 8 months. After birth, the mother nurses and grooms the baby until it is around four years old. Baby chimpanzees are very weak at first and cling to their mother’s belly for about 3 to 4 months.
Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas are closely related to humans. They share more than 95% of their DNA with us. All of them live in tropical parts of Africa. Chimpanzees communicate in many ways, such as through facial expressions, body movements, sounds, postures, and sign language. They use these methods when feeding, warning about danger, and during play.
Subspecies of Common Chimpanzees
There are four main subspecies of common chimpanzees, and one proposed subspecies. These include:
- Eastern Chimpanzee: The Eastern Chimpanzee is found in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
- Central Chimpanzee: Found in Gabon, the Republic of Congo, and Cameroon.
- Western Chimpanzee: Found in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea.
- Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee: Found along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon.
- South-eastern Chimpanzee (Proposed): Believed to live in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda.
