Mountain Gorilla vs Lowland Gorilla, Fight, Size, Who Wins

Mountain Gorilla vs Lowland Gorilla

Lowland gorillas can be observed in the trees and prefer densely forested, gentler environments than the rare mountain gorillas. As their names may suggest, the habitats of these two subspecies of gorilla are distinct. Lowland gorillas seek sanctuary in the dense rain forests along Africa’s Atlantic coast. They inhabit a comparatively small area, including the unexplored wilderness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon.

The rare mountain gorillas live at higher altitudes and much further interior (4300 meters) in the wilderness of Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The majority of their native habitats are the rocky summits of once-active volcanoes, although it is common for them to venture into the high, alpine regions of mountain ranges, where they may encounter freezing temperatures.

Mountain gorillas are the largest primates, with males weighing between 135 and 220 kilograms and standing between 1.2 and 1.8 meters tall. Lowland gorillas are typically smaller than mountain gorillas, weighing between 65 and 185 kilograms on average. Typically, females are roughly half the weight of males.

Lowland Gorilla Vs Mountain Gorilla: Comparisons & Similarities

Each subspecies lives in groups known as units. Large troops can have as many as 30 members, but their organizations are typically smaller. A gorilla group consists of a dominant silverback male, several females, and their young. Males begin amassing their own harem of females and forming their own group at approximately 15 years of age, when adult male children leave their biological group to live independently. Between abandoning their parents and accumulating their own females, young Lowland males typically form their own groups while remaining related to their parents.

All dominant mature males of these subspecies develop gray hair on their backs at around 13 years of age, a few years before they begin to breed. Lowland gorillas have shorter hair and are not as dark as the critically endangered mountain gorillas. While mountain gorillas have coats that range in color from bluish-black to dark brownish gray, Lowland gorillas have coats that are lighter in color and more brown or even gray. Male lowland gorillas shed their gray fur on the back and hips as they age.

There are also differences in the physical appearances of the two apes, although they can be difficult to distinguish at first sight. However, both species have extremely extended arms, but mountain gorillas have shorter arms than their Lowland counterparts. Additionally, they have a large nose, jaw, and larger canines.

Male mountain gorillas emanate a strong odor from glands under their arms when agitated. Studies indicate that fragrance communication does not play a significant role in the culture of lowland species.

Lowland gorillas are more likely to be spotted moving through the trees, despite the fact that both subspecies can ascend trees and build their nests from branches and leaves. Both subspecies are herbivores, and lowland gorillas are frequently spotted high in the trees stripping bark and leaves for sustenance.

Both subspecies are regarded as threatened. Lowland gorillas are heavily hunted for their skins and their flesh is in high demand. In addition to habitat loss caused by human land uses, rare mountain gorillas are frequently impacted by conflict due to the location of their home ranges.

Mountain gorillas are one of Eastern gorilla’s two subspecies. There are two types of lowland gorillas: western lowland and eastern. The scientific name for the western lowland gorilla is Gorilla gorilla gorilla, while the scientific name for mountain gorillas is Gorilla beringei beringei.

To sum up, gorilla tours are the most popular things to do in Africa. Most countries let you walk to see lowland gorillas, but you can only see mountain gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.