Western Lowland Gorillas

The western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is a subspecies of the western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps in central Africa in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

The Western Lowland Gorillas is the gorilla usually found in zoos.

These gorillas are recognized as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Physical Description of Lowland Gorillas

The western lowland gorilla is the smallest subspecies of gorilla. A male standing erect can be 5–6 feet (1.5–1.8 m) tall and weigh 300–600 pounds (140–270 kg). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the average male is 168 kg (370 lb) and stands upright at 163 cm (64 in). Females stand 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and weigh half as much as males.

Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia

Phylum:               Chordata

Class:     Mammalia

Order:   Primates

Family: Hominidae

Genus:                 Gorilla

Species:               G. gorilla

Subspecies:        G. g. gorilla

Trinomial name

Gorilla gorilla gorilla

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