Excluding man, who is also part of this order, gorillas are the largest among the more than 300 known species of primates. Males can measure 1.75 meters in height and weigh up to 220 kilograms. “They live exclusively in the equatorial forests of Africa and are close relatives of man since, within the order of primates, both are part of the same family, the hominids”, says biologist Kátia Cassaro, from the Zoological Park Foundation of São Paulo. Gorillas belong to a single species, Gorilla gorilla, which is divided into three races or subspecies: Gg gorilla, Gg Graeri and Gg berengei. All of them are on the list of endangered animals, but the last one, popularly known as the mountain gorilla, is the one most at risk of disappearing from the map. According to the latest estimates, only 600 of these animals remain in African forests. All gorillas move on all fours and along the ground, as they are too heavy to hang from trees like other apes.
Finally, one more curiosity about the size of primates: at the other end of the monkey ladder is the lemur, measuring only 13 centimeters.
dive into it
At the bookshop:
The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates, Noel Rowe and Russell A. Mittermeir, Pogonias Press, 1996
On the Internet:
https://www.saudeanimal.com.br/primatas.htm
https://www.primate.wwisc.edu/pin/aboutp.html
Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx)
Size: 90cm
Weight: 20kg
The main feature of the mandrill is its colorful face. The muzzle is purple, flanked by blue furrows, the beard orange and the whiskers white. It is found in the rainforests of the African continent.
Bonobo (Pan paniscus)
Size: up to 1.15m
Weight: 39 kg
Also known as dwarf chimpanzees, bonobos were considered a subspecies of chimpanzees until 1933, when they were classified separately. They live in groups of up to 100 individuals and are known for their sexual shenanigans.
Baboon (genus Papio)
Size: up to 1.15m
Weight: 60kg
Baboons are divided into five species, with the largest specimens belonging to the species Papio ursinos. Unlike most apes, they do not live in tropical forests, but in the arid lands of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Orangutan (PONGO PYGMAEUS)
Size: about 1.35m
Weight: 85kg
Orangutans only inhabit Southeast Asia. They live on tree branches and are unmistakable because of their reddish fur. Unlike most primates, they are solitary animals and are only seen together during the mating season.
Chimpanzee (PAN TROGLODYTES)
Size: up to 1.70 m
Weight: up to 60 kg
Chimpanzees are found in tropical rainforests and African savannas. They are the closest primates to man and, thanks to their large brain, also the most intelligent. They live in groups of two to hundreds of individuals and move both on the ground and in the trees.
Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)
Size: 1.75m
Weight: up to 220 kg
Gorillas live in groups of six to 30 animals, led by one or two related males—usually a father and son or two brothers. They are vegetarian and each individual can consume up to 30 kilos of food per day.
READ MORE
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