Difference Between Gorillas and Chimpanzees

Difference Between Gorillas and Chimpanzees: Tourists are always visiting East Africa especially Uganda and Rwanda to see the top two endangered primate species that are live in the countries’ natural habitats. These primates are the mountain gorillas and the chimpanzees. However as the tourists are trekking in the specific habitats to see these unique animals, they normally see several similarities between the two primate species that cause them to sometimes confuse gorillas with chimpanzees and chimpanzees with gorillas respectively. In this article we address the differences between the gorillas and the chimpanzees to help you differentiate these two primate species even as you visit them.  These two primate species both share about 90% DNA with humans thus are able to some things humans can do and can easily relate with the humans, this makes these species even have more similarities with each other than differences, but that does not mean they don’t have differences so the differences between these animals include:- 

Difference Between Gorillas and Chimpanzees 
  • Appearance 

Mountain gorillas are larger in size than the chimpanzees, normally two times or three times larger. Mountain gorillas have more pronounced arms, muscles and chests compared to the chimpanzees whose arms, muscles and chest are less pronounced. The gorillas’ faces are black and the chimpanzees’ faces are pink. Gorillas have small ears on the back of their heads as the chimpanzees have big ears that are seen protruding out of their heads.

  • Intelligence skills 

Though the chimpanzees are smaller in size they have bigger brains than the mountain gorillas hence making them more intelligent than the gorillas. This makes the chimpanzees more canning and tricky animals than the mountain gorillas.

  • Strength 

The mountain gorillas are very strong animals, one mountain gorilla can carry heavy things alone and when it fights humans or enemies it can trample the victim causing them fatal injuries or even death. The chimpanzees are not that strong they normally use they intelligence to deal with powerful elements or fight enemies.  This said the gorillas are peaceful animals that rarely start trouble or fight, unlike the chimpanzees, are troublesome and violent species they can easily start trouble and can gang up against rivals to fight till death. 

  • Social 

These primates are both social animals, however the chimpanzees are way more social than the gorillas living in communities over 100 individuals, well as gorillas live in smaller groups of not more than 40 individuals. 

  • Habitats 

Both the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees live in forested areas though the mountain gorillas live in higher altitudes in the forests compared to the chimpanzees that live in quite lower altitudes of the forests. This means on any gorilla trekking trekking activity the trek to find mountain gorillas will take a longer time and the trek to find chimpanzees will take a shorter time. 

The mountain gorillas also spend most of their time on the ground unlike the chimpanzees that are normally up in trees though they also move on the ground. 

  • Leadership in social circles 

Mountain gorilla groups will have only have one silverback who is the dominant male that leads other females and their off springs with no other males, apart from their male off springs that are also driven out when they become mature enough.  The chimpanzee on the other side normally live in groups with several males that can take on leadership anytime need arises. 

  • Movements 

Both the mountain gorillas and the chimpanzees though can walk upright but they usually move on their four limbs. The chimpanzees and swift therefore are faster movers than the mountain gorillas that are huge animals, mountain gorillas though can run they are not as fast and quick as the chimpanzees.

  • Off Springs 

Both primates like humans will have one offspring at a time with the mountain gorillas being pregnant for 8.5 months and chimpanzees being pregnant for 8 months. The female chimpanzee will have one child in 5 years well as the female mountain gorillas will have one child in 2 years. 

Difference Between Gorillas and Chimpanzees 
Difference Between Gorillas and Chimpanzees
  • Food

Chimpanzees and Mountain gorillas are both known herbivores that feed mainly on leaves and fruits; however the chimpanzees are known to eat smaller animals in some instances making them omnivorous too unlike the gorillas that are only herbivores.

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