Larry Long Jr., age 12, of Butte, Mt. for his question:
WHERE DOES THE GORILLA LIVE IN THE WILD?
The gorilla is the largest, rarest and most powerful anthropoid ape in the world. It is a zoo favorite but can be found living in the forests of equatorial Africa from the western lowlands near the Cameroon coast to an altitude of about 10,000 feet in the central highlands of Zaire and Uganda.
Two subspecies are recognized: the common gorilla of the lowlands and the more densely coated mountain gorilla. Some authorities consider the eastern lowland gorilla a separate subspecies.
The male gorilla is a big guy weighing about 400 pounds in its natural surroundings and attaining a height of about five feet five inches. It grows to be several inches taller and much fatter when it is in captivity.
The female is about 12 inches shorter and half the weight of the male.
The skin of the gorilla is black and the hair is coarse and near black, turning gray on the backs of old males. The older males are called "silverbacks."
The gorilla's muzzle is short and hairless, with a a flat nose, flaring nostrils and strong jaws. The eyes and ears are small, the brown ridge prominent. The brain case and bulk are smaller than in humans.
The skeletal structure of the gorilla is similar to that of humans, but the bones are thicker, the arms much longer and the legs shorter. The spine lacks the curvature for a sustained erect posture. Thus, while the animal often stands upright and walks erect for short periods by grasping at tree branches or other support, it more often moves about in a stooped position, using the knuckles of the hand to bear part of its weight.
Gorillas build makeshift camps each night after a day of foraging for the succulent plants, berries and leaves that make up their diet.
The mental capacity of the gorilla is still being explored. Not as curious or excitable as its nearest relative, the chimpanzee, the gorilla shows more persistence and memory retention in solving a problem and is more likely to perform a task out of interest than to earn a reward.
It also discriminates among geometrical shapes more effectively than does the chimpanzee.
After some success with chimpanzees, researchers in the mid 1970s turned their attention to communicating with gorillas by means of American sign language. One gorilla has mastered more than 100 words.
The great strength of the gorilla makes it exceedingly, if unintentionally, dangerous when provoked or frustrated. Attempts to study gorillas in an unrestricted setting are, therefore, rare.