Primates are classified as Placental Animals or are also known as mammals. Mammals are animals with fur. Their fur protects them from injuries, germs, and prevents loss of body heat. They also are warm blooded allowing them to live anywhere. They have a highly developed nervous system, which make them bright animals.

 

Most babies grow up on their mom’s milk. There are two-hundred animals classified as primates. Some including humans, apes, monkeys, and primates. Primates are built just like humans, they have five fingers and five toes, but their feet are like a hand which make them the masters of trees. They have three dimension eyes, like humans, and their eyes have to be really good because they depend on their eyes, more then their nose.

 

They also have an advanced brain which makes them smarter than any other primate. There is really only one type of gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) But scientist divided them in to three groups. One group is the Western Lowland Gorilla . The Lowland Gorilla is the most widespread species. They live in the lowland rain forests of Nigeria, Cameroon, Rio Muni, Gabon, the African Central Republic, and the Congo Republic.

 

They are the shortest in height and lightest in weight. They usually have gray hair or reddish hair on their head and shoulders. They have short hair and are the most common zoo gorilla. The second is the Eastern Lowland Gorilla. These gorillas have a small population. And they only live in Zaire. They are the tallest and heaviest of all the three groups. Most are black and sometimes grayish. They have a long and narrow face including their skull.

 

They have short hair and are rarely found in zoos. The last type is the Mountain Gorilla. There are small populations found by the Virunga Volcanoes and on the border of Rwanda. They are large and heavy, but smaller then the Eastern Lowland Gorilla. They have thick glossy hair that hangs low. None of these gorilla's live in zoos and they are the most studied of all the gorillas.

 

All three of the species live in wet forests. Their range is Africa to Southeastern Nigeria to western Zaire. They can also be found in the forests of Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, and Central Africa Republic. Or were grass is grown. Most gorillas adapt to their area. For example Mountain gorillas have longer body hair for colder climate areas.

 

They also have expanded nostrils and have a bigger chest. And they can also be found 11,000 (3,353m) or more above sea level. Gorillas are considered herbivores or folivores which is an animal that only eats grass and different plants. What they eat is celery, thistles, nettles, bamboo shouts, blackberries, and ferns. They also eat buds, stalk, and bark. But what they mainly eat are shoots and stems.

 

The lowland gorillas eat lots of fruits because lots are found in their jungles. Sometimes they will eat insects, snails, slugs, and also dig up holes that are filled with ants and eat them. And while he’s eating them he has to put up with all the stinging, and that’s crazy. They will also eat honey from bee hives. Most animals are afraid of the primates. But they still have predators. Most of their predators are other gorillas because they compete for mates and food.

 

Another main predator is humans. Many gorillas aren’t that violent, they only get violent when some other animal comes into it's territory. But when an animal does come around they protect themselves and their young. What they do is stand up straight to show their full size. And what really scares predators away, is that they start ripping and tearing bushes near by to show how big and strong they are.

 

A gorilla’s gestation time is 8.5 to 9 months. Most of the time gorillas have their babies at night so when they are born the group will sleep together for several hours. They only give birth to one baby at a time, and won’t have another baby until the recent one is four years old. The economical and ecological importance is quite interesting.

 

All I know is that tourists come to see them and the tourist guide makes money showing them these amazing beasts. The guides, trackers, park rangers, and anti-poaching patrol, make more money than farmers and people who raise cattle.

 

When Gorillas shake their heads side to side it means that they are getting ready to display their strength. Its like they are saying, “Watch out”

 

Gorillas and humans are alike in many ways, they snore, hiccup, burp, and cough.

Gorilla females have about three offsprings in their life time

A gorilla can build a ground nest in thirty seconds or less, and can build a tree nest in about five minutes.

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Gorillas need to eat a large amount of bulky plants in order to get enough nutrition for their enormous body. They spend six to seven hours of eating a day!

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Author: Tanner B.

Published: April 2006

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Sources: Patricia Miller-Schroeder, Gorillas, Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck-Vaughn publisher, 1997 Anne Ake, The Gorilla, San Diego, California: Lucant Brooks Inc,1999 Unknown, “Gorillas”, Encyclopedia of Mammals, 1989, Vol. 6 Unknown, “Primates”, Online http://encyclopedia.com/html/p1/primate.asp”, 1-10-06 See D. Fossey, “ Gorillas in the Mist” (1983); J. Shreeve, Nature: The Other Earthlings (1987) http://encyclopedia.com/hyml/g1/gorilla.asp Unknown, “Rain Forrest Animals”. http://mbgtnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/animals/gorilla.htm, Loftus, David. Gorilla. Nanotechnology R & D. Stanford. 21 Apr. 2006 . Wildlife with Borders Species Program. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, InternationalAffairs. .