Male mountain gorillas are 5’6” – 6’ tall and females are up to 5’ tall. Males weigh from 300 to 500 pounds, while females weigh from 150 to 200 pounds. The lifespan for gorillas is about 35 years in the wild and up to 50 years in zoos.

Their gestational period is 8.3 to 9 months and they usually have one, rarely two infants, weighing 4 to 5 pounds at birth. The age of maturity is about 13 years for males and 10 years for females.

The way the gorilla lives in the wild is very interesting to study. They tend to live in groups of 5 to 30, with one strong male designated as the troop leader. The troop leader has a big job, for he is responsible for the safety of each member, and he makes all the decisions as they move each day to a new area so they have enough food supply.

Everything a gorilla eats is plant material; therefore they live in the forest and eat leaves, stems, fruits, seeds, and roots. They love to eat! An average male gorilla will eat up to 40 pounds of food each day, and they have large stomachs that can hold this bulky food.

They also have strong jaws which helps them to chew up tough stems. Each morning after they have eaten, each adult gorilla gathers leaves, twigs, and branches to make a day nest for resting while the youngsters play.

After their nap the gorillas will eat again until bedtime. They will either make another nest on the ground or sleep in the tree because they never use the same nest twice.