Western Gorilla

• It shares close to 98% of its DNA with humans.
• Dominant males grow silver hair across the back, which is where the name silverback comes from.
• Its diet is as much as 67% fruit, supplemented with leaves, stems and insects.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat & environment

Lowland tropical rainforest and swampy clearings ('bais') of Central Africa

Birth weight

1.8-2.3 kg (4-5 lb)

Size at birth

All but helpless at birth, clinging to its mother's fur; crawling at 9 weeks

Sexual maturity

Female: 7-10 years (a first birth usually at 10-11) | Male: physiologically mature at 8-12 years, though he usually breeds after 15

Gestation / incubation

8.5 months (250-290 days)

Litter / clutch size

1 young (twins rare); 4 years between births

Lifespan in captivity

40-60 years in captivity

Sources consulted: Los Angeles Zoo; Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance; A-Z Animals; Animal Diversity Web; IFAW; Study.com; Louisville Zoo