The gorilla is the biggest of the primates, and as wildlife tourism has become ever more popular, the gorilla has become one of the favorite animals to see during wildlife tours. Uganda and Rwanda are two destinations that provide an up-close and personal experience through a gorilla trekking/tracking adventure that allows tourists to trek in the jungles and come face to face with the gorillas in their natural home without any barrier – such an epic experience!
The gorillas live in families of different individuals that include infants, adult females, and the adult male(s). Visiting tourists are ever looking forward to seeing the different individuals of the gorilla families, however the outstanding gorilla individual everyone wants to see is the silverback gorilla, a fully grown mature male which is also the leader of the gorilla family.
In terms of popularity the female gorilla lingers in the shadow of the iconic silverback gorilla, and yet the females make up the most numbers in the gorilla family.
In this article we share some interesting facts about the female gorilla.
What are differences between female and male gorillas?
Adult female and male gorillas are quite distinctive in appearance, and below are the visible differences
Size: the adult female gorillas are way smaller than the adult males. They are nearly half the adult males who grow to more than 5 feet in height and weighing up to 450 pounds.
No silver: adult females have black fur all through their lives, while the adult males develop the distinctive slivery grey on their backs.
Roles of female gorillas in the gorilla family
First and foremost, the female gorillas make up the biggest number of the individuals in the gorilla family. In rare cases will there be more adult males than adult females in a gorilla family. Essentially it is the females (and young gorillas) that make up the family that the adult male gorilla leads. Unlike adult males that can live solitary lives in the jungles, do not live solitary lives but live in families where they are protected by the silverback gorilla.
Perhaps the most important role, the adult female gorillas mate with the dominant silverback gorilla and make him children.
The mother gorillas take care of their new born babies till the time of weaning them. The mother gorilla starts weaning the baby starting from about year.
The mother gorilla also prepares the next silverback leader by delaying weaning of her son to increase her chances. This helps the young male gorilla develop into a stronger adult male that can ably challenge for leadership.
Organization of female gorillas in a group.
Do female gorillas lead groups?
No female gorillas do not lead groups. This role is exclusive to the powerful adult male gorillas, the silverbacks.