Western Lowland Gorilla Flashcards

1
Q

What is the scientific name of the Western lowland gorilla?

A

Gorilla gorilla gorilla.

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2
Q

What is the largest group of primates?

A

Gorillas.

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3
Q

Do gorillas have strong teeth?

A

Yes.

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4
Q

What are the only parts of a gorilla’s body that aren’t covered by hair?

A

Face, ears, hands, and feet.

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5
Q

What is the proper name for the enlarged ridge on top of a male gorilla’s cranium?

A

Saggital crest.

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6
Q

What are the four subspecies of gorilla?

A

Mountain gorilla, eastern lowland gorilla, western lowland gorilla, and the Cross river gorilla.

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7
Q

How do Western gorillas differ from eastern gorillas?

A

Western gorillas have lighter hair, shorter hair, and a narrower face than eastern ones.

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8
Q

How tall are male gorillas?

A

5.5 feet tall

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9
Q

How much does a large male gorilla weigh?

A

450 pounds

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10
Q

True or false? After chimpanzees, gorillas are the closest living relative of humans.

A

True.

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11
Q

How often do female gorillas go into estrus?

A

Once a month.

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12
Q

What is the gestation period of the gorilla in days?

A

Around 270 days

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13
Q

How old are male gorillas when they are mature?

A

6 to 10 years

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14
Q

How old are female gorillas when they are mature?

A

6 to 8

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15
Q

At what age do male gorillas become silverbacks?

A

12 to 13

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16
Q

How long do mother gorillas hold their young for?

A

Two months.

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17
Q

What will the young gorilla do once its mother stops holding it?

A

Cling to her back.

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18
Q

How old are gorillas when they begin to be independent from their mothers?

A

Two years.

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19
Q

True or false? The western lowland gorilla is the only subspecies of gorilla listed as endangered rather than critical.

A

False. It is the eastern lowland gorilla.

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20
Q

When are young gorillas weaned?

A

At about three months old.

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21
Q

How many years will an average gorilla live?

A

Wild: 35 years
Captivity: 50 years

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22
Q

What is the range and habitat of gorillas?

A

They are found in western and eastern central Africa in tropical forests.

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23
Q

How many different kinds of plants do gorillas eat?

A

Over 200

24
Q

What do gorillas eat?

A

Fruits, flowers, shoots, insects, and leaves.

25
Q

What is an average gorilla group comprised of?

A

1 dominant silverback, multiple females, and their offspring.

26
Q

True or false? There can be multiple males in a gorilla group, provided they are black backs.

A

True.

27
Q

what is the average group size for gorillas?

A

Around 10.

28
Q

Why are western gorillas usually smaller than eastern gorillas?

A

Western gorillas rely more on seasonal fruit, so there is more competition.

29
Q

True or false? Eastern lowland gorillas have the largest home range of all the gorilla species.

A

False. Western lowland gorillas do, because they need to constantly search for food.

30
Q

Do gorillas spend more time on the ground, or in trees?

A

Ground.

31
Q

What can cause young gorillas to take to the trees?

A

Lack of food.

32
Q

What do gorillas build their sleeping nests out of?

A

Branches and leaves.

33
Q

What is a bai and why do gorillas like them?

A

A bai is a forested area that has been cleared out by larger herbivores or storms. Gorillas like them because of the fresh vegetation growing there.

34
Q

What will the alpha male gorilla do if challenged?

A

He will stand up, hoot, throw things, pound his chest, and roar.

35
Q

Are gorillas generally aggressive animals?

A

No.

36
Q

What does the alarm sound of a gorilla sound like?

A

A hoot.

37
Q

Do gorillas have opposable thumbs?

A

Yes.

38
Q

Can gorillas see color?

A

Yes.

39
Q

True or false? The arm span of a gorilla is taller than their standing height.

A

True.

40
Q

What is the arm span of a large male gorilla?

A

8 feet.

41
Q

What is the gorilla’s role in its habitat?

A

It spreads seeds.

42
Q

Why do male gorillas usually give off threatening displays?

A

It is usually a bluff to allow his group a chance to escape.

43
Q

Why are gorillas often difficult to study?

A

They are very secretive.

44
Q

True or false? Male gorillas will often babysit so the females can forage without being harassed by their young.

A

True.

45
Q

What are the main threats to the gorilla?

A

Bushmeat, poaching, habitat loss, and ebola.

46
Q

Why is forest loss a twofold threat for gorillas?

A

It destroys habitat and brings in hungry people to hunt gorillas.

47
Q

True or false? In the eight countries where gorillas can be found, there are very strict laws protecting them.

A

False. The laws are not very strictly enforced.

48
Q

Who was the zoologist that first shed light on the wild behavior of gorillas when he published his book “The Mountain Gorilla: Ecology and Behavior” in 1963?

A

George B. Schaller

49
Q

How much of our DNA do we share with gorillas?

A

Around 99%

50
Q

What is the highest a mountain gorilla can be found?

A

14,000 feet

51
Q

How long ago did the last common ancestor of us, chimps, and gorillas live?

A

7 million years.

52
Q

When were all gorillas a single species?

A

The ice age.

53
Q

How many western lowland gorillas are left?

A

100,000 in the wild and 4,000 in zoos

54
Q

How many mountain gorillas are left?

A

About 600

55
Q

Do gorillas have individual fingerprints?

A

Yes.

56
Q

Why do gorillas rarely drink water?

A

They get a lot of water from what they eat.

57
Q

What have gorillas been seen using as tools?

A

They use rocks to crack things and sticks to measure depth.