Gorilla
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[Photo] Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla at Gorilla Island, Bristol Zoo, Bristol, England. Diet in the wild: fruit, seeds, leaves, stems, bark, insects. From: West Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, SW Central African Republic). Weight in the wild: Male up to 169kg. Female up to 75kg. Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in September 2004 and released to the public domain.

The gorilla, the largest of the living primates, is a ground-dwelling herbivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and (under debate as of 2006) either four or five subspecies. Its DNA is 97%-98% identical to that of a human, and is the next closest living relative to humans after the two chimpanzee species.

Name
The American physician and missionary Thomas Staughton Savage first described the Western Gorilla (he called it Troglodytes gorilla) in 1847 from specimens obtained in Liberia. The name was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women") described by Hanno the Navigator, a Carthaginian navigator and possible visitor (circa 480 BC) to the area that later became Sierra Leone.

Physical characteristics
Gorillas move around by knuckle-walking. Adult males range in height from 165-175 cm (5 ft 5 in-5 ft 9 in), and in weight from 140-200 kg (310-440 lb). Adult females are often half the size of a silverback, averaging about 140 cm (4 ft 7 in) tall and 100 kg (220 lb). Occasionally, a silverback of over 183 cm (6 feet) and 225 kg (500 lb) have been recorded in the wild. However, obese gorillas in captivity have reached a weight of 270 kg (600 lb). Gorillas have a facial structure which is described as prognathous, that is, their mandible protrudes further out than the maxilla.

Gestation is 8½ months. There are typically 3 to 4 years between births. Infants stay with their mothers for 3-4 years. Females mature at 10???12 years (earlier in captivity); males 11???13 years. Lifespan is between 30???50 years. The Philadelphia Zoo's Massa set the longevity record of 54 years at the time of his death.

Gorillas are mainly vegetarian, eating fruits, leaves, and shoots. Insects make up 1-2% of their diet. Due to their diet of plant life, gorillas often have bloated stomachs.

Almost all gorillas share the same blood type (B) and, like humans, have individual finger prints.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla

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