On your gorilla safari in Rwanda or Uganda, you may be surprised by the huge size of these gorillas especially the silver backs. The physical description of a gorilla is just quite amazing.
The largest living primates, gorillas are stocky animals with broad chests and shoulders, large hands, and forearms that are much shorter than the upper arm. The face is black and hairless, with small eyes that are close together and large, prominent nostrils.
Adult males are identified by a sagittal crest along the midline of the skull and an area of white hair on the back, which is why they are known as ‘silverbacks.’
Eastern gorillas are the larger species, and have darker and longer fur, particularly on their arms. In comparison, western lowland gorillas have shorter hair that is gray or brown with a tendency to red on their heads.
To add to these differences, lighter hair on western silverbacks stretches to their thighs, as opposed to the more defined patch in the otherwise dark backs of eastern gorillas.
Males are about twice as heavy as females and may attain a height of about 1.7 metres (5.5 feet) and weight (in the wild) of 135–220 kg (300–485 pounds). Captive gorillas of both sexes may grow quite fat and hence become much heavier.
A wild adult female typically is about 1.5 metres tall and weighs about 70–90 kg. Gorillas lack hair on the face, hands, and feet, and the chest of old males is bare.
Adult males have a prominent crest on top of the skull and a “saddle” of gray or silver hairs on the lower part of the back—hence the term silverback, which is commonly used to refer to mature males.
Rwanda Eco Company & Safaris wish you a great encounter with the gorillas, for any inquiry about the physical description of a gorilla or even gorilla safari tours for both Uganda and Rwanda, do not hesitate to reach us by an email, we are right there to take you miles away to the jungle and meet the gentle giants either in Uganda or Rwanda.
