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African Animals
Gorillas are large, quiet, shy apes that live in Africa.
They live in small groups (or bands) of 6-7 individuals, including one
silverback (adult male), a few females, and their young. Because of loss
of habitat, these majestic primates are on the verge of extinction.
Anatomy: Gorillas have very long arms (the arms are longer than the legs),
and a short, bulky body with a wide chest. They are covered with brownish
hair on most of their body (except their fingers, palms, face, armpits,
and bottoms of the feet). Gorillas have a very large head with a bulging
forehead, a crest on top (larger on males), tiny ears, and small,
dark-brown eyes. Gorillas have no tail. Gorillas range from 4.6-5.6 ft
(1.4-1.7 m) tall. Diet: Gorillas are mostly herbivores, eating mostly
plant material. Occasionally, gorillas eat termites and ants. An average
adult male eats about 50 pounds of food a day. They rarely drink water.
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