Gorilla troops have a home range between 4-25 km2 (1.5-9.7 miles2). One of the largest gorilla troops identified had 4 silverbacks, 5 blackbacks, 12 adult females, and 16 young. If a troop consists of multiple silverbacks they are usually the sons of the dominant adult male silverback. They are highly synchronized in their activity patterns. Troop populations usually range in size from 2 to 12 individuals with 9 being the average. As time progresses, his distances increase from the parental group. This process takes several years and begins by the juvenile male separating himself just outside from the troop. Usually the adolescent male will remain solitary until he forms his own troop. It is for this reason that females most often join a lone silverback or a newly formed troop rather than a long-established one.Īn adolescent male most often splits from his parent group due to lack of breeding opportunity. Late arrivals do not receive the benefits of high ranking females such as having their offspring remain close to the dominant silverback for protection.
A female's status or rank in the family is generally determined by the order in which she was recruited into the troop. Generally the first troop a female reproduces in will become her permanent family. The oldest and strongest adult male silverback is usually dominant in the troop and has exclusive breeding rights to the females.Īdolescent females transfer to another troop before reproducing at around 8 years of age. Gorillas are non-territorial and live in groups called troops that generally consist of 1 to 4 adult males (called silverbacks), some juvenile males (called black backs), several adult females and young.
0 kommentar(er)
