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Great Apes
There are four kinds of great apes: gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans. Only the orangutan comes from Asia; the others all come from Africa.
 
Lowland Gorilla
Gorillas, the largest of the living primates, are ground-dwelling omnivores that inhabit the forests of Africa.
 
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees usually walk on all four limbs, although they can walk upright for short distances.
 
Bonobo
The Bonobo has highly individuated facial features, as humans do, so that one individual can look significantly different from another.
 
Orangutan
Orangutans are very graceful and agile while climbing through the trees but somewhat slow and awkward when walking on the ground.
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Gorillas
- A gorilla's arms are longer than his legs.
- Some gorillas have been taught sign language by people; these gorillas learned how to form simple sentences and communicate with people.
- Gorillas knuckle-walk using both their legs and their long arms (putting pressure on their knuckles, with the fingers rolled into the hand). Gorillas rarely walk using only their legs.
- More gorilla factoids...
Chimpanzees
- Chimpanzees and people share 98.7% of the same genetic make-up (DNA).
- Chimpanzees often use "tools" (rocks, twigs, etc.) to crack open nuts, dip into holes for ants, spear small animals for food, etc.
- Although lighter than humans, chimpanzees have a pull five to six times stronger.
- Chimpanzees are omnivorous, but their diet is mainly vegetarian; they have been known to engage in organized hunting.
- More chimpanzee factoids...
Bonobos
- Bonobos and people share 98.4% of the same genetic make-up (DNA).
- Bonobos live only in one country: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
- In contrast to the competitive, male-dominated culture of their close relative the chimpanzee, bonobo society is peaceful and matriarchal.
- Bonobos have a very distinctive coiffure with long black hair parted neatly in the middle and side whiskers.
- Young bonobos have black faces while young chimps have white faces.
Orangutans
- Orangutans share 97% of the same DNA as humans.
- Orangutans are about 2/3 the size of the gorilla.
- Adult male orangutans have large cheek flaps (which get larger as the ape ages).
- More orangutan factoids...
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