The endangered mountain gorilla is a topic of great concern to many. This virtually unique animal is sadly facing a threat to its species, and efforts are underway to increase its reproduction and raise global awareness. Here are some key facts about the mountain gorilla.
People may not know this, but this gorilla belongs to a subspecies of eastern gorilla that has existed for a very long time. The mountain gorilla's habitat is in Central Africa; countries like Uganda are home to this animal. The mountain gorilla is a quadruped (it walks on all fours). It is also a terrestrial animal that has become quite notable for its distinct daily habits, particularly its sexual activity, and is very different from other gorillas.
What are the characteristics of the mountain gorilla?
Although it belongs to the group of gorillas, the mountain gorilla has certain particular characteristics and these are the following:
- Its main feature is its fur, which is totally black and very long.
- It can live in very high places and develop a very healthy life in places with fairly low temperatures.
- The mountain gorilla stands out because its life on the ground is much better than that of any other primate.
- Its height is impressive, one of these gorillas can easily measure 1,80 meters in height.
- The weight of this animal is about 230 kg and it is capable of running at a speed of 55 km per hour.
- As for its life time, it is calculated that it naturally ranges from 35 to 50 years.
- Their sexual activity is superior to that of other primates.
Their feeding
The mountain gorilla has variations in its diet. The main food of this is vegetables, but as its natural habitat is in the mountains, it can be difficult to obtain it since in its area it is hardly produced. For this reason the gorilla resorts to certain stems that it gets in its way, in some cases they feed on certain leaves, but this is something that depends on the plant that they are able to get.
It also feeds on things like bark, roots, among others. As an alternative, it is useful to eat flowers and fruits, what if it becomes quite rare is to see the mountain gorilla eat insects, some of these gorillas eat them and the insects they prefer are ants, larvae and also worms.
The reproduction of the mountain gorilla
To understand the reproductive process of this gorilla, it is good to name its childhood a bit. This is divided into two parts, it has a first childhood that lasts from birth to 3 years old, its second childhood goes from 3 years old to 6 years old. When it turns 8 years old, the beginning of its maturity is appreciated because it is when the canines appear in his jaw.
When it turns 12 years old it becomes fully mature and at the age of 15 it is capable of reproducing. It is very important to note that the female is the dominant one and is the one that initiates the mating task, according to research the female will always be able to dominate the male, at birth their babies weigh approximately 1,8kg, the mother can always be observed with babies and after 5 months they begin to move on their own.
At this age, babies begin to eat certain leaves on their own, after two more months they already eat solid foods and when they are 3 years old they manage to become totally independent from their mother.
Danger of extinction
The mountain gorilla is in danger of extinction . The number of these gorillas has increased slightly, but there are less than 1000 gorillas left in the world. This is an extremely low number, and it is due to hunters who have killed almost all of them, making them one of the animals most at risk of extinction.
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of the mountain gorilla is as follows:
- Kingdom: Animals.
- Class: Mammalia.
- Order: Primate.
- Division: Chordate.
- Family: Hominid.
- Underorder: Simiiform.
- Tribe: Gorillini.
- Species: Beringei gorilla.