Silverback Gorilla Size report

Gorillas are the largest and strongest primates on earth and belong to protected wild animals, mainly distributed in Africa. Gorillas are gregarious animals, each led by an adult male gorilla, and are highly territorial, using force to defend their territory if other species invade.

The gorilla is called the "silverback" because some males have white hair on their backs. Gorilla species are sexually dimorphic, meaning there is a significant difference in size between adult males and females. Sexual dimorphism is a key piece of gorilla information that helps you understand why only some become silverbacks.

Only male gorillas become a silverback. Male gorillas are considered mature adults at eight years old, although they are not yet fully grown. Male gorillas become silverbacks around 13 years old when the hair across their shoulders and down their back becomes grayish or white. This article focus on the size of silverback gorillas.

Silverback Gorilla Basics

The gorillas are the largest apes. Gorilla size differs from a silverback and a female gorilla. Male gorillas are much larger than females. Males have larger heads than females due to a crest or ridge on their skull. A silverback gorilla usually has a broad chest about 1.9 meters wide, long and muscular arms, and wide feet and hands. The arms of silverback gorillas are longer than their legs. They have long black hair, which keeps them warm in their cold environment.

Silverback Gorilla Size

• Adult females weigh about 200 pounds and average around 4 feet tall.
• Male gorillas are much larger than females, weighing about 400 pounds and growing to 6 feet tall, with an arm span of 2.6 meters.

Habitat

Gorillas have two habitats, east, and west. Western lowland gorillas live mainly in the tropical rain forests of the lowlands of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eastern mountain gorillas live mainly in the Virunga and Bwindi mountains on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda.

Reproduction

Gorillas have the longest gestation period besides humans among the primates, reaching 255 days. The interval between productions is typically three to four years. Newborns weigh about 2 kilograms but grow faster than human babies, and cubs typically live with their mothers for three to four years. Females are sexually mature at 8 to 12 years old, and males are 9 to 13 years old. The average lifespan of gorillas is 30 to 50 years.

Conclusion

Gorillas are a primate closely related to humans and related to orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos. The term “silverback gorilla” usually refers to the dominant male gorillas of each troop because of the grey fur on their backs. Females of the same species do not have this distinct color pattern. All gorilla subspecies are listed on the IUCN Red List. There are only 100,000 to 150,000 wild gorillas globally due to the rampant killing of illegal hunters. The most threatened is the mountain gorilla, whose number is estimated to be only 400 to 700.