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Gorillas are large, quiet, shy apes that live in Africa. They live in small groups (called 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. The scientific name of the western gorilla is Gorilla gorilla.
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 black 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 (like all apes) have no tail. Gorillas range from 4.6-5.6 ft (1.4-1.7 m) tall.
Diet: Gorillas are generally herbivores, eating mostly plant material. Occasionally, gorillas will eat termites and ants. An average adult male eats about 50 pounds of food a day. They rarely drink water.