Silverbacks are adult male gorillas that develop a patch of silver or grey hair on their backs as they grow older. Only male gorillas become silverbacks. A gorilla is considered mature at around 8 years old, but the silver hair starts to appear when they are about 12 years old.
A gorilla family is usually led by one silverback. The family consists of females, infants, juveniles, and sometimes younger adult males. The silverback has full breeding rights with all the females in the group.
Silverbacks are the leaders of the group. They decide when to feed, rest, move, or sleep. They also protect the group. A silverback can eat up to 45 pounds of vegetation in a single day.
When threatened, a silverback may show aggression, especially toward rival males. They defend their groups against other silverbacks, leopards, or any danger, even at the risk of their own lives. To show anger, silverbacks may beat their chests with cupped hands, throw vegetation, scream, bare their teeth, and if necessary, charge and attack intruders.
As silverbacks grow, many leave their family group and live alone for a time. Later, they may try to attract females from other groups, join other solitary males, or challenge the dominant silverback in their original family to take over leadership.
Silverbacks are easy to tell apart from adult females. They can weigh up to 400 pounds, grow up to 6 feet tall, and have larger heads. Female gorillas are smaller, can grow up to 4 feet tall, and weigh much less.
Sometimes silverbacks kill young males in their group to prevent future challenges to their leadership. However, they can also be protective. If a female dies and leaves behind an infant, the silverback may care for and protect the baby.
When a dominant silverback dies, the next oldest silverback usually takes over leadership. If there is no other silverback, the group may break apart, with females joining other groups or lone males.
Gorillas are the world’s largest living apes. They are divided into two species: Eastern gorillas and Western gorillas. Eastern gorillas are further divided into Eastern lowland gorillas and Mountain gorillas, while Western gorillas are divided into Western lowland gorillas and Cross River gorillas.
Gorillas are gentle, quiet, and shy animals. They socialize in groups and often show affection toward each other, but they can become aggressive if disturbed or if they feel threatened. The biggest threats to gorillas are poaching, habitat loss, and sometimes predators like leopards.
Book your Uganda tours with these recommended Uganda tour companies for a well planned safari. Use the Voucher: UTBlog for up to 25% Discounts on Trips.
