Eastern Gorilla
The Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei) is a species of the genus Gorilla and the largest living primate.
Size
There are three subspecies of eastern gorilla, one of which is the eastern lowland, or Grauer’s, gorilla (G.b. graueri). The other two subspecies of eastern gorilla are the mountain gorilla (G.b. beringei), and the Bwindi gorilla, an as yet unnamed subspecies from the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The eastern lowland gorilla has short black hair on the back and longer hair elsewhere on the body. Gorilla pictures of mature males show a silvery saddle on the back and are called “silverbacks”. Like other gorillas, the eastern lowland gorilla has small ears and broad nostrils. Adult males stand 175 cm (69 inches) tall and weigh 165 kg (360 lbs). Males are almost twice as large as females.
Behavior
Eastern Lowland Gorilla tends 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.
Eating
Eastern Lowland Gorilla is 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.
