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The
Eastern Lowland Gorilla (
Gorilla beringei graueri) is a subspecies of
Eastern GorillaThe Eastern Gorilla is a species of the genus Gorilla and the largest living primate. At present, the species is subdivided into two subspecies. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla is the most populous, at about 16,000 individuals. The Mountain Gorilla has only about 700 individuals...
that is now only found in the forests of eastern
Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country located in Central Africa, with a small length of Atlantic coastline. It is the third largest country in Africa...
.
This subspecies is more robust in appearance than the
Western Lowland GorillaThe Western Lowland Gorilla is a subspecies of the Western Gorilla that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It is the gorilla usually found in zoos...
, having longer teeth, a stronger jaw and a broader torso. They have black coats which in males, like other
gorillaGorillas are the largest of the living primates. They are ground-dwelling and predominantly herbivorous. They inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s, turns silver at the back as the animal matures.
Habitat and diet
Eastern Lowland Gorillas are predominantly herbivorous, eating mostly leaves. They are known to eat only a few leaves from a single plant, allowing the plant to regrow. They will also eat fruit, seeds, bamboo shoots and insects.
Size
The Eastern Lowland Gorilla subspecies is the largest living primate. The maximum size of a male gorilla can be over 225 kg (500 lb) and 1.83 m (6 ft) in the wild, with much heavier weights recorded in captivity. Some males are recorded to have weighed 275, 286.5, 311.5, 318 and 338 kg. The record weight seems to be the 388 kg of a male named Phil which lived between 1941 - 1958 in the St. Louis Zoo. Phil's measurments were: height 180 cm, bust 182 cm, neck 91.5 cm, wrist 38 cm. He was weighed on a verified weight after an eight week long diet.
Behavior
Eastern Lowland Gorillas tend to be sociable and peaceful, living in groups of 5 to 30. A group usually consists of one silverback and few subdominant males. Silverbacks are the strong, dominant troop leaders (see alpha male). They are in charge of leading the group to food and protecting the group from danger. Males will slowly begin to leave their original group when they reach maturity, usually traveling with a group of other males for a few years before being able to attract females to form a new group.
Reproduction
A female will give birth to twins or a single infant after a gestation period of about 8 ½ months. They breastfeed for about 12 months. The baby can crawl at around 9 weeks old and can walk at about 35 weeks old. Infant gorillas normally stay with their mother for 3 to 4 years and mature at around 11 to 12 years old.
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