However, respective governments in countries in which gorillas are situated have for years worked with regional and international conservation bodies to preserve these species. For many years, these gorillas have succumbed to different dangers that have occasioned a reduction in their population. Silverback gorillas are part of the eastern gorilla species that are endangered. They have inhabited this region for decades notwithstanding rapid human activities of encroaching on their forest homes, poaching and wars that led to both loss of most of its habitats and senseless killings of these primates. Globally, they are only habituated and trekked in the lush Virunga region i.e., Uganda, D.R Congo, and Rwanda. In these forests, silverback gorillas lead their families into building nests and also seek food therein. Gorillas generally live in montane forested lowlands and tropical vegetated highlands. Coupled with their hunting skills and great speed, they pose as a major predator for silverback gorillas. Leopards have the ability to swiftly climb trees. The second known predator of silverbacks is the leopard. Human beings have established themselves as destructive to these primates by poaching them, fighting from within their habitats, and also encroaching on their land. The main predator (and enemy in that case) of silverback gorillas is the humans. Humans are warned of challenging a silverback to a duo. A silverback grows to great mass and height which gives its hind legs stability when it faces off an enemy. The brute strength of a silverback gorilla is estimated at an equivalent of 9 to 10 full-grown strong men. Strength of the silverback gorilla.Ī silverback gorilla is immensely strong. This great mass is accounted to their selective diets. The weight of a silverback gorilla ranges from 210 kilograms to 230 kilograms. The arm length of a silverback gorilla is average between 2.3 meters to about 2.7 meters. Height and weight of a silverback gorilla.Īs far as height goes, silverback gorillas can measure up to 1½ to 2 meters. Small worms and ants are also preferred meals for silverback gorillas. They also occasionally feast on flowers, especially in the flowering seasons of the year. Silverbacks can ordinarily feast on over 19 kilograms of vegetation within a single day. The silverback gorilla feeds on bamboo shoots in great amounts, tissue from the tree stems (which is a factor for their brute mass and strength), and some succulent leaves and roots. This fact debunks the extensive belief by many that they are highly carnivorous simply because of their protruding canines. The silverback gorilla is primarily a herbivore. The mode of leadership determines whether gorilla family keeps intact, or disintegrates. The silverback controls a family unit by determining where the family nests, retains mating rights and defends the family from any potential enemies. Naturally, this is an obvious point of who leads. This therefore raises a question for a family head. As a similar trait to that of humans, gorillas also cluster into family units. The major role of a silverback is leadership in the gorilla family. It is understood that they would potentially exceed that lifespan if not for their risky activities such as fighting to protect their families and other challenges such as human wars, habitat loss, poaching, diseases and climate change effects. This is a consequence of their feeding habits in which foods provide the required nutrients to keep their bodies healthy. The lifespan of a silverback gorilla.Ī silverback gorilla can live up to about 40 to 50 years. Sometimes silver in color, this streak runs along the silverback gorilla’s back. Silverback gorilla’s main distinctive feature from other species of gorillas such as blackbacks and female gorillas is the grey/white streak on its flanks. They are mammals under the order of primates. They are grouped under endangered wildlife animals. These are part of great gorilla species, i.e., Grauer’s gorillas and mountain gorillas. Silverback gorilla is generally a term given to a mature male gorilla.
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