Types of Mountain Gorillas

Types of Mountain Gorillas

Types of Mountain Gorillas: Mountain gorillas were discovered by a German explore Cap Robert Von in 1902 in the Virunga mountains. The locals of course had seen the gorillas before but this explore was the first to pick scientific interest in these gorillas.

The first study about the gorillas was done in 1959 by the American Museum of national History. Later Dian Fossey conducted a comprehensive study of the mountain gorillas to discover the true story behind these creatures.

For a long time everyone believed that there was only one type of gorillas with subspecies like the Western Gorillas, Eastern Lowland gorillas and Mountain Gorillas.

Of recent research show that there are two species of gorillas with two sub species in each group.

The DNA conducted shows that there is some difference between the Bwindi gorillas and those in Virunga, this difference was formed by the different breeding conditions over time.

In this case we would say we have the Bwindi Gorillas which are endemic to Uganda and the Virunga Gorillas which are also unique to the Virunga mountains.

The Lowland gorillas can be distinguished for the mountain gorillas by a lot of factors from the altitude differences to the color of the fur.

They are the biggest apes of this species where an adult male weighs as twice as the female and can weigh up to 220kg while a female can weigh up to 90kg.

These apes are massive with a short thick trunk, broad chest with dwarfed shoulders, eyes and ears by the large and hairless head.

Males develop crowns of muscle and hair that makes their heads longer. Their arms are also longer than the legs.