Silverback Gorilla Facts : Silverback gorilla fact is a mature male endangered mountain gorilla where it can be easily identified by the silver saddles across his back and hips. Silverback gorilla is characterized for leading a troop of 10 to 30 individuals on where to feed, migrate, resting and among others. Like how the fathers do in human beings. On a gorilla trekking safari among the destinations like Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic republic of Congo that’s when the travelers get the opportunity of sighting the silverback gorilla of which it impresses.
The silverback gorilla facts.
Gorilla in the wild can sustain its lifespan and can live for 40 to 50 years.
Silverback mountain gorilla do live in natural habitat in the tropical rainforest of the East and Central Africa.
Silverback gorilla has got over the and approximately height of 6 feet.
Silverback gorilla depends on the fruits, stems, leaves for survival hence known as thee herbivores animal specie.
Silverback gorilla is terrestrial and quadrupedal creatures as this spends more time on the ground than in the trees and it walks on its four limbs.
The gorilla has got the thicker fur that help it to live in the areas of high altitude and in the colder conditions, as the mountain gorillas live in the Albertine Rift cloud forest and the Virunga Volcanoes in Central Africa.
The mature mountain gorilla male is called the silverback because when it grows old, its body turns into silver saddle that runs across their back and hips.
The average height of the silverback is up to 6 feet tall where the female mountain gorillas can be 5 feet tall, and the gorillas can weigh up to 350 pounds with the muscular arms, stocky build, broad chest that raises and builds them into the large animal creatures.
Not only the silverback gorilla, the male gorilla are identified on the pronounced bony crest on the top of their skulls which gives their head the conical shape. As they have the small ears for their size of their heads. Then the younger male mountain gorillas are called the blackbacks as this is because their silver saddle will occur when they turn 12 years.
Behavioral traits and characteristics.
Not only being the strong animals, silverbacks are shy, gentle. As they live in 10 to 30 members. And the silverback can be the leader of the family, leads them to travel, forage for food and sleep, protects the members from every intruders through erecting on its hind legs, tear and throw plants, stomp their feet and drum their chests with its hands and chases the intruders.
Silverback and the rest of the gorillas since they are nomadic everyday they live and build new nests each of the new days.
Silverback is the only male gorilla that is allowed to mate with all the females in the troop, due to its size, strength and among others and females choose to mate with it among all other males in the gorilla family.
Silverbacks are such intelligent apes, they communicate to the fellows through facial expressions, vocalization, gestures, body language to communicate to the fellow gorillas.
When the mother dies in the group, it’s the silverback’s responsibility to look after the young ones and it allow to be sleeping with them in tits nest.
Major threats of the mountain gorillas in conservation.
Basing on the ‘’IUNC’’, the mountain gorillas are known as the endangered animal species because of the following.
Gorillas in most of the times are poaches by the hunters for the bush meal trade which is illegal and led to reduction of the numbers of mountain gorillas.
Loss of the habitants due to human encroachment to get land to settlement, farming and among others.
Conservation effort and measures have been put in place together to conserve the mountain gorillas though working together with the stakeholders to preserve and protect the lives and habitats of the mountain gorillas.
Facts of all the mountain gorillas.
Gorillas rarely drink water they hydrate themselves by feeding on the moist plants and fruits.
Gorillas differentiate their group members through the nose prints which is also one of the silverback gorilla facts.
Gorillas they do have 32 teeth though their canines are too sharp.
In gorillas when the female gorillas reach the age of ten they can be considered as a mature and can be able to bear the offspring, it takes 8 months of gestation where it’s common they give birth to a single baby, commonly give birth from 2 to 6 babies in their entire life.
The newborn gorilla babies can be wake, then be weaned at 3 and a half year where it can be staying next to its mothers until the age of 4 years, during that time they can be feeding, and consuming the food like plants, leaves and fruits.
Silverbacks are greatest and the most unique species that are responsible for all over the activities in its group. And this can be physically witnessed on a gorilla safari destination when you carry out gorilla trekking like in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park, Mgahinga Gorilla national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park Rwanda, Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo to have the incredible safari moments ever in your life.
