All subspecies of gorillas are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This is because their numbers have reduced considerably in the last century. ![]() Silverback Gorilla – Size, height and lifespan Human diseases, habitat destruction and poaching for meat are the greatest threat to wild gorilla survival. Gorillas live in groups or families led by a Silverback. Silverback doesn’t refer to a particular species of gorillas but a mature male gorilla. Silverback gorillas are distinguished by a grayish white hairline around the back and shoulders. A male gorilla that is too old to be a juvenile but too young to be a silverback is referred to as a blackback. A silverback is much larger than a female. Compared to a female, a silverback gorilla has a larger head, body and can weigh up to 270 kilograms. A male gorilla becomes an adult at about 8 years of age. This is the time most leave the group to leave alone or join other males. At this point, they are still referred to as Blackbacks. It is only when they become fully grown (at about 12 to 13 years of age) that they become silverbacks. This is also the time when the hair down their back and across the shoulders becomes whitish or greyish in color.Ī mature and lone blackback or silverback will live close to a particular group and attempt to dethrone the dominant silverback as soon as he is strong enough. If he fails to dethrone a leader of a particular gorilla family, he will attempt to steal females from that group to form his own. It is important to note that some males never leave their original group on reaching maturity. They will stay loyal to the dominant silverback and help protect the group from intruders. This arrangement is more common with mountain gorillas and rare with Western lowland gorillas. Whereas it is possible to find several silverback gorillas in a group, there is only one dominant silverback. The dominant silverback is the leader of the group and has absolute authority. He determines when to eat, rest and is entitled to mate with all the females in the group. Gorilla mating is often initiated by the female upon reaching maturity. ![]() The dominant silverback controls a group containing between 5 to 35 individuals. A gorilla group contains several females, adolescents/juveniles, infants and some adult males. Females leave the group upon reaching maturity to avoid mating with the father. Strength of a silverback gorilla?Ī fully grown silverback gorilla is about twice the weight of an adult man. They are over 9 times stronger than an adult male. Their body weight and incredible strength is all because of robusticity – meaning a higher ratio of muscle mass. Would a strong adult male have a change against a silverback in a duel? Whereas no fight has been recorded between an adult male and a silverback gorilla, it is obvious who the winner will be. An angry silverback would beat the man to a pulp. The dominant silverback gorilla leads by charisma and example. He is always peaceful and rarely uses force.
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