Gorillas Habitat

Gorillas are huge, majestic animals who are considered to be our ancestors at some point of time. There are many species and subspecies of gorillas which are distributed all around the world and have their own unique traits of habits and habitats. Some of these are the endangered species of the world, the Mountain gorillas who thrive in the dense rain forests of Africa around southwestern Uganda, Rwanda and Congo and the lowland gorillas which have a comparatively thinner coat.

Though they look big and scary, they are very gentle and quiet animals who are loving and friendly. They do get aggressive when their patience is tested or if they are attacked, but these are natural defense mechanisms which every mute animal is gifted by nature. Given below are some very interesting facts about gorillas habitat and how they survive in those thick rain forests.

Mountain Gorillas Habitat

As mentioned earlier, these mountain gorillas are the most endangered species of gorillas in the world and the population is divided into two. One of these consists about 350 of them found in Bwindi National Park in Uganda and the other half of 350 gorillas survive in the Virunga Volcano region. Given below are some gorillas habitat facts and other features which are quite enlightening.

Habitat

These mountain gorillas found in Africa live in thick dense rain forests which have very thick vegetation of every kind. The flora and fauna of these forests is very typical, however, it suits their habit and diet. As they are primarily terrestrial, they live on the tree bottoms in the day and at nights sleep on the trees. They sometimes build hammock like beddings high up on the tree tops for themselves and their children for rest if they sense danger from predators or humans. They usually live in groups of 30 which are led by an old adult male. This is a very important fact about gorillas habitat as they cannot function without a leader.

These troops include young males, females and their offspring and all of them are organized by the leader. He takes care of their activities like eating, building nests in leaves and moving around the home range from one national park to the other. This male is the soul protector of their troop and displays powerful acts of bravery when challenged by other males. They have a diet full of fruits and leaves. They love bananas and coconuts along with other tropical fruits and vegetables. Some other favorites are seeds, plant bulbs, flowers and tender plant shoots which are particularly loved by the young ones.

Physical Characteristics

Gorillas that belong to various subspecies have different coat lengths, hair colors, jaws and teeth sizes and the overall body appearances. They are the largest primates alive in the world today but have a huge threat of extinction if not preserved. They have long, built muscular arms, a massive chest and very broad hands and feet. They have thick long coats of insulated black hair which protect them from the temperature changes that occur in a typical rain forests.

Habits

The males are quiet and sophisticated and get very aggressive when challenged as they have the moral responsibility of protecting their families. The females are very loving and caring. They take care of their young ones till they are old enough to be self dependent. The offspring on the other hand are very similar to human children and spend most of their day playing over their mother's body, hanging from trees and falling off edges. Since gorillas keep moving and changing their nesting areas, they are very good team players. They cannot live in open spaces as they are used to living in trees and dense vegetation with ample of food and water around.

These were the gorillas habitat peculiarities which are found in mountain gorillas. Others like the lowland and cross over gorillas have similar habits and habitats with minor alterations. Gorillas are beautiful creatures and to keep them safe and away from extinction is our duty as humans.