Gorilla Anatomy

Gorilla Anatomy

The gorilla is the largest of all primates, and there is no mistaking them for any of the others such as chimpanzees and monkeys. They are unique in their body design even though they do have some similarities. An adult male gorilla can be about 450 pounds and 6 feet tall. Females are quite a bit small with a weight of about 200 pounds and a height of close to 5 feet.

The knuckles of a gorilla are what they use to walk on. This is very interesting and they can move extremely fast. Like humans, all gorillas have a set of fingerprints that are uniquely their own. In addition they have a nose print that is unique as well. Their bodies are very strong so they are able to climb with amazing speeds. When they become large though they have to be careful or the trees won’t hold their weight.

All gorillas have very long hair on them. It is either dark brown or a shade of black. Many people assume that they have fur but it is actually hair such as what humans grow. What is interesting is that gorillas don’t have any hair on their face, hands, or feet. They also don’t have any in the armpit area. As males get older, more than 11 years of age, they will get silver patches on their backs which is where the coined term of silverback comes into the topic of gorillas.

They arms of a gorillas are much longer than their legs. They prefer to walk on all fours but they can move around in an upright position. They will do so when they feel threatened as well to seem larger to those that are bothering them. You will notice that their hands look just like ours – four fingers and one thumb. They also have five toes on each foot just like we do. The formation of their hands and feet allow them to grasp items easily with either one.

The head of the gorilla is very large, and it can be intimidating which is why many people view them as very aggressive animals. They definitely can look mean due to the structure of their jaw line. They seem to be frowning as well because the forehead protrudes out very far and the eyes are deeply set. This seems to be a trait more dominant in males than the females.

You will notice that the gorilla doesn’t have a tail which is something that most primates do have. There are 32 teeth in a full grown gorilla. They are very sharp to help them shred the plant life that they want to consume. When they are eating they usually will grab the food with their hands or feet and then insert it in their mouths from that position.

When you compare the skeleton of a gorilla to that of a human you will find that they are very similar. The main differences are the longer arms and the bigger feet. They also have a longer rib cage and the pelvic bones are wider. This is just one more reason why there is such a connection between humans and gorillas. They are quite similar physically was well as with many of their characteristics.