Eastern gorilla
Eastern gorillas are the largest primates ever known and they are a species of the Genus gorilla .
Eastern gorillas belong to kingdom Animalia , phylum Chordata , class Mammalia and order of primates .
The eastern gorillas inhabit the tropical and montane forests of East and Central Africa.
The eastern gorilla is divided in to two subspecies that is the Eastern lowland gorilla and mountain gorillas .
- Mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas are found in the Virunga massif in the countries of Uganda , Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo . The national parks where these great apes are habited are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Kahuzi Biega National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mountain gorillas are about 1063 left in the wild thus marked as the most endangered primates due to poaching , habuatt destruction and diseases.
Mountain gorillas live in the mountains at an altitude of about 2200m to 4300m above sea level.
- Eastern lowland gorillas
Eastern lowland gorillas are found in Democratic Republic of Congo in the national parks of Maiko national park , Hombwe massif and Tayna gorilla reserve .
There are about 6000 gorilla individuals left in the wild and they live in both lowlands and mountainous parts of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
They are as well critically endangered just like the mountain gorillas due to habitat loss , poaching , diseases and low reproduction rate .
Physical characteristics of eastern gorillas
Eastern gorillas are very huge animals comprising of broad chests , large heads , long arms , flat nose with large nostrils . They have black fur however the adult males have silvery saddle on their backs which makes them silverbacks.
A male adult gorilla can weigh up to 200kg while a female adult gorilla can weigh up to 100kg
Behaviour of Eastern gorillas
Eastern gorillas are very social animlas that live in groups called families . Each group or family has about 4 to 30 individuals which are headed by a dominant silverback with responsibilities of mating with females , deciding for the group and protecting the group incase of danger.
What Eastern gorillas feed
Eastern gorillas are herbivorous animals that feed on vegetation such as leaves , shoots, roots, fruits, stems, among others.
An adult gorilla can consume about 18kg per day.
Eastern gorilla vocalizations
Eastern gorillas make about 25 vocalizations which are essential in their social behavior and interactions .
They are ; roars, barks, grumbles, chires, pants, hums , screams among others.
Differences between eastern gorillas and western gorillas
Eastern gorillas are larger than western gorillas in terms of size i.e. An adult male weighs about 205kg while an adult female weighs about 100kg
Eastern gorillas have more darker fur as compared to western gorillas .
Eastern gorillas have long faces and broad chests while western gorillas have small chests .
Eastern gorillas live in the tropical rainforests of Central Africa while western gorillas live in mid west Africa in Cameroon , Central African republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.
By and large , Eastern gorillas are unique creatures that are pleasing to trek.
