Gorillas 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. The DNA of gorillas
is 98%–99% identical to that of a human, and they are the
next closest living relatives to humans after the two chimpanzee
species. Gorillas live in tropical or subtropical forests.
Although their range covers a small percentage of Africa,
gorillas cover a wide range of elevations.
Silverbacks are the strong, dominant troop leaders. Each typically
leads a troop (group size ranges from 5 to 30) and is in the
center of the troop's attention, making all the decisions,
mediating conflicts, determining the movements of the group,
leading the others to feeding sites and taking responsibility
for the safety and well-being of the troop. Blackbacks may
serve as backup protection.
|