Gorilla life cycle
Gorillas have a gestation period of 8.5 months to 9 months . Gorillas have aloe birth rate because for a female to give birth again the infant must have grown up to the age of atleast 4 years .
Gorillas usually give birth to 2-6 infants the whole of their lives.
A baby gorilla is known as an infant and it is born with a weight of 1.8kg but as they grow they become bigger and heavier .
Infants start waking and sitting at 3 to 4 months and carried by their mothers up to 6 months.
When a young gorilla grows up to the age of 4 to 8 years they are called juveniles.
A male gorilla becomes sexually active at the age of 10 to 12 years whereas a female at the age of 8 years .
When gorillas become juveniles they are able to do most activities independently.
At the age of 10 to 15 years gorillas are considered adults and males are known as black backs.
Summary of gorilla life cycle
The gorilla life cycle comprises of stages of growth and development.
Stage 1 : infancy
The infancy stage is from 0 to 3 years . Gorillas are nursed by their mothers and most of their time is spent with the mothers.
Stage 2: Juveniles
The juveniles stages is from 3 to 6 years
Gorillas become more adventurous in this stage and play a lot with their siblings helping them to socialize.
Stage 3 : Subadult
The subadult stage is from 6 to 10 years . Gorillas are very independent, socialize a lot with others and females reach sexual maturity as males continue growing.
Stage 4 : Adult hood
The adult hood stage is from 10 years wnd above . The males become black backs eith a dark coat and the dominant males become silverbacks consisting of a silvery patch on their backs.
Lifespan of gorillas
The Average lifespan of gorillas is 35 to 40 years . However they can sometimes live up to 50 years.
Diet
Gorillas feed on vegetation such as leaves , shoots , roots , fruits , bamboo among others.
A male gorilla can eat up to 30kg of vegetation per day and a female gorilla can eat up to 18kg of vegetation per day.
Social structure
Gorillas live in groups called families consisting of 5 to 30 members. They are led by a dominant male known as a silverback.
The silverback is responsible for protecting the family , mating with females and deciding sleeping and feeding times.
