Mountain Gorilla Behavior and Adaptations – Mountain gorillas are strong animals with broad shoulders, legs, and arms. Their short legs make them famously known as friendly giants.
They share 98% of their genes with humans, giving them human-like traits and making them close cousins to humans.
Mountain Gorilla Behaviors
- Mountain gorillas cry, laugh, and play, just like humans.
- They live in forests on mountain slopes at heights of about 8,000 to 13,000 feet.
- They socialize with others in their family.
- They stay in groups of 5 to 30 individuals, led by a dominant male called a silverback.
- They eat fruits and plants like roots, stems, leaves, and bamboo.
- They are secretive and move quietly to avoid being seen by threats.
- They walk using their arms and legs.
- They are very protective of their families. The silverback will fight to the death if his family is attacked because his role is to protect the group.
- They build nests to sleep in at the end of the day. They collect plants on the ground to make these nests. They build a new nest each night because they travel to different places daily.
Mountain Gorilla Adaptations
- Mountain gorillas have strong arms with large muscles. This helps them gather food and move around.
- They have flat teeth and bacteria in their stomachs to help them chew and digest plants. The bacteria break down food so their bodies can use it.
- They are very secretive and have sharp senses to detect danger. They usually leave dangerous areas instead of fighting.
- They use their big thumbs and fingers to break fruit shells.
- They are herbivores and eat only plants. They stay in forests where food is easy to find.
- They live in families led by a silverback, who ensures the group works well.
- They communicate using body language and sounds like belching, laughing, crying, chest beating, and breaking trees.
- They have thick, long fur that keeps them warm in the cold. It also protects them from diseases like colds, flu, and pneumonia, as well as insect bites.
Mountain gorilla adaptations help them live their daily lives successfully.
