Things You'll Need
- Notebook
- Writing implement
Instructions
Habitat and Lifestyle
Note in which country the gorillas have been observed. The mountain gorilla can be found in Rwanda, Uganda, and Zaire. Western lowland gorillas inhabit Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Nigeria. Eastern lowland gorillas can be found in the country of Zaire.
Examine the terrain. Mountain gorillas live on the Virunga volcanoes in the hagenia woodlands. The lowland subspecies prefer the swampy lowlands of the rainforest. All three gorilla subspecies prefer forest areas that allow light through to the forest floor.
Study the gorilla to determine its diet. The lowland gorillas eat more fruit than the mountain gorillas, which prefer the leaves of the hagenia and hypericum trees along with wild celery. The western lowland gorillas of Gabon will eat the weaver ant along with other insects.
Observe the size of the group. On average, the eastern lowland gorillas live in groups of 11, western lowlands in families of 5 and mountain gorillas in a group size of 6.
Physical Differences
Note the color of the animal's fur. Both the eastern lowland and the mountain gorilla have black fur, while the western lowland gorilla's coat is more of a brownish-gray color with red highlights.
Note the length of the coat. Mountain gorillas have longer hair than the other two subspecies.
Observe the silverback of the group. The western lowland silverbacks tend to have silver hairs not only on their back, but also down the thighs and buttocks.
Individuals
Observe the group as a whole and take note of any obvious differences in the physical traits of the gorillas. For instance, the fur on one's head may be bushier or a lighter shade than the others in the group.
Study the individual nuances of the gorillas. On observing a group, you may notice that an individual's gait varies from the others, or perhaps one has a different-sounding call.
Observe the nose. The only conclusive method of differentiating individual gorillas is by the pattern on the nose, which is similar to human fingerprints in that each one is unique.