Western gorilla[1] | |
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Male at Melbourne Zoo | |
Female with infant at the Bronx Zoo | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Family: | Hominidae |
Subfamily: | Homininae |
Genus: | Gorilla |
Species: | G. gorilla
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Binomial name | |
Gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847)
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Subspecies | |
Western gorilla range |
The western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) is a great ape, closely related to chimpanzees, orangutans and humans. They are the type species as well as the most populous species of the genus Gorilla.[3] Nearly all of the individuals of this taxon belong to the western lowland gorilla subspecies.[4] The other subspecies are the Cross River gorilla.
Western lowland gorillas are generally lighter colored than eastern gorillas. Western lowland gorillas have black, dark grey or dark brown-grey hair with a brownish forehead. Measurements of wild individuals show that mature males average 155 cm (61 in) in height.