Western lowland gorillas are the largest of all four great ape species. Primarily quadrupedal, gorillas are “knuckle walkers” moving on the soles of their feet and the knuckles of their hands. Gorillas also have opposable thumbs and big toes and can manipulate objects with both their hands and feet. The females and the young can and will climb trees to forage for food and sleep, but all gorillas build nests each night to sleep using vegetation and branches.

Because of their vegetarian diet, gorillas spend most of their day foraging and digesting their food – roots, shoots and fruits. Because their food is high in fiber, it can take about two days for them to fully digest their food. Lowland gorillas have a powerful bite that allows them to more efficiently grind up their food.

Gorillas live in a family group with a dominant male called a silverback, named for the color of their backs when they reach maturity (around age 12 to 14). Silverbacks settle disputes among the females, protect the family and determine their movements for the day. They’re also responsible for finding food and remembering where seasonally available forage will be available. Gorillas do most of their communication through sounds, postures, gestures and smell. They have limited facial expressions but they have at least 22 distinct sounds. In addition, male gorillas have large scent glands under their armpits and all have scent glands on their hands and feet. Gorillas can be identified by their unique nose prints through the shapes of their nostrils and crinkles on their nose.

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