Gorillas are the largest primates in the world. They live in the tropical and subtropical rainforests of Africa.
But which type of gorilla is the biggest?
Gorillas are divided into two main species: the Eastern gorilla and the Western gorilla.
The Eastern gorilla has two types: the Eastern lowland gorilla and the Mountain gorilla.
The Western gorilla also has two types: the Western lowland gorilla and the Cross River gorilla.
Gorillas mostly eat plants. Their diet includes fruits, bamboo shoots, stems, pith, bark, leaves, roots, and sometimes ants, insects, and termites. They are also seen eating soil sometimes.
For reasons that are not clear, gorillas are afraid of caterpillars and chameleons. Young gorillas, who are usually curious and playful, will move away when they see a caterpillar or chameleon.
Gorillas do not drink water often because the plants they eat contain enough moisture. They are not bothered by rain and use logs to cross streams.
What is the largest species of gorilla?
Eastern lowland gorilla
The Eastern lowland gorilla is the biggest gorilla. It lives in the rainforests in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In the 1990s, there were about 17,000 of them. Today, their number has dropped by more than half, and their home range has shrunk from over 8,000 square miles to about 5,000 square miles.
Their biggest threats are habitat loss, disease, poaching, and conflict in Congo. Even though this is the largest gorilla, it is listed as endangered by the IUCN.
This gorilla is also called Grauer’s gorilla. It has a short muzzle, darker skin and hair, and a strong, thick body. Male silverbacks can weigh up to 272 kilograms and stand about 1.76 meters tall. Females are smaller and can reach about 1.60 meters in height.
Western lowland gorilla
The Western lowland gorilla is a type of Western gorilla. It lives in several countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Angola, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.
It is the only gorilla that can live in zoos. It is also the smallest of all the gorilla types.
The only albino gorilla ever recorded was a Western lowland gorilla named Snowflake, who came from Equatorial Guinea.
Mountain gorilla
The Mountain gorilla is a type of Eastern gorilla. It lives in the forests of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mountain gorillas cannot survive in zoos.
As of 2018, there were around 1,004 mountain gorillas left in the wild. These are the gorillas people see when they go trekking in Uganda & Rwanda.
Cross River gorilla
The Cross River gorilla was named as a separate type in 1904 by Paul Matschie.
It lives in the forested hills along the border between Cameroon and Nigeria.
This is the rarest type of gorilla, with only about 250 mature individuals still living in the wild.
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