Gorillas are divided into two species: eastern gorillas and western gorillas. Mountain gorillas are a subspecies of eastern gorillas found in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is home to half of the world’s mountain gorilla population.
Gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans, similar to Bonobos and Chimpanzees.
They inhabit the tropical and subtropical rain-forests of the Virunga range region.
Gorillas move by knuckle-walking, although they can sometimes walk bipedally while holding food or in defensive situations.
Gorillas have unique nose prints, just as humans have unique thumbprints.
They construct new nests daily, and the young ones sleep with their mothers until they are about four years old.
These nests are made of tree branches and leaves.
Size of Mountain Gorillas
Gorillas are the largest living primates in the world. Baby mountain gorillas are born vulnerable, much like human babies, and they can weigh about 3-4 kilograms and survive on their mother’s breast milk until the age of 4 years.
Mountain gorilla size changes as they grow.
Mountain gorillas are entirely herbivorous animals that feed on leaves, fruits, bark, bamboo shoots, stems, and pith.
They sometimes supplement their diet with ants, termites, and insects.
Mountain gorillas use sticks to collect termites in holes, and 25% of their diet consists of fruits.
Mountain Gorilla Weight
Gorillas have considerable weight with well-shaped muscular bodies.
Mature male gorillas weigh more than female mature mountain gorillas.
An adult male gorilla’s weight ranges from 136 kilograms to 196 kilograms, while females’ weight ranges from 68 kilograms to 113 kilograms.
The heaviest gorilla ever recorded was 267 kilograms and 1.83 meters tall; this gorilla was shot in Ambam, Cameroon.
Western gorillas in captivity can weigh up to 310 kilograms, but mountain gorillas can hardly survive in zoos.
Height of Mountain Gorillas
The average height of a mountain gorilla is 1.7 meters tall.
Adult male gorillas’ heights range from 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches, while females’ height ranges from 5 feet; they are shorter than the male gorillas.
Mountain gorillas move on four legs but can also stand on hind legs.
They can move up to 20 feet on two legs.
The tallest gorilla ever recorded was 1.95 meters tall with a wide chest of 1.98 meters and an arm span of 2.7 meters, weighing 219 kilograms.
This gorilla was shot in Alimbogo north of the Kivu region in 1938.
Gorilla Trekking & Habituation Experiences
To learn more about mountain gorilla size, weight, and height, tourists can visit Virunga National Park in Congo, Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Gorilla permits must be booked in advance, typically three months before the trekking date, especially during peak seasons due to high demand.
Tourists who are sick and under the age of 15 years old will not be allowed to visit mountain gorillas.
After finding a gorilla family, you will be given an hour of observation, and it’s essential to follow gorilla trekking rules and regulations while in the presence of gorillas.
Gorilla habituation is the process of making mountain gorillas get used to human presence.
This activity is only done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and involves joining researchers and gorillas in the habituation process.
Gorilla habituation is more advantageous as you spend four hours with gorillas, unlike the normal gorilla trekking, which takes only 1 hour.
Gorilla FAQs & Information
- Why Can’t You Look or Make Eye Contact with a Gorilla?
- Why Silverback Gorillas Fight
- Importance of Mountain Gorillas
- What to do when a gorilla charges on you
- What is The Largest Species of Gorillas?
- What is a Group of Gorillas Called?
- What is the Mountain Gorillas Role in The Ecosystem?
- The Mountain Gorilla Defense Mechanism
- How to Provoke/Annoy a Gorilla
- How Gorillas Greet Each Other
- Do All Gorillas Become Silverbacks?
- Do Gorillas like Humans
- Do gorillas Eat of Kill Their Babies?
- Do Gorillas Eat Humans?
- Can you Tame a Gorilla
- Can you Own a Gorilla?
- Do Mountain Gorillas live in Families & Groups?
- How to Protect & Save Mountain Gorillas
- Why Gorillas Are So Strong
- How Many Humans Does it Take to Beat a Gorilla?
- How do you call a Baby Gorilla?
- How Do Gorillas Sleep?
- How Mountain Gorillas Communicate
- The Gorilla Life Cycle
- Do Gorillas drink water?
- Are Gorillas friendly & gentle to humans?
- Why do Apes, Gorillas beat their chest & sound hollow?
- Gorilla Threats: Why Mountain Gorillas were endangered?
- Why were Mountain Gorillas going extinct?
- What is a Silverback Gorilla?
- Gorilla Species: Different Kinds/Types of Gorilla & Breeds
- Mountain Gorilla Diet
- Natural Mountain Gorilla Predators
- Mountain Gorilla Population
- Lifespan of Mountain Gorillas
- Mountain Gorilla Natural Habitat
- Mountain Gorilla Conservation Efforts
- Mountain Gorilla Behavior
- How to Survive a Gorilla Attack on Humans
- Are Gorillas Dangerous to the People
- Why are Gorillas Poached in Africa
- How Gorillas Adapt to Rain-forest Environment
- Interesting Facts about Mountain Gorillas in Africa
- Traits, Qualities & Characteristics of Mountain Gorillas
- How Strong is a Silverback Gorilla?
- Best Place to See Mountain Gorillas in Africa
- Uganda Gorilla Families
- Rwanda Gorilla Families
- Congo Gorilla Families
