Gorillas

My name is Dylan, and I would like to present to you my Wikispace on gorillas. I chose gorillas because I've heard a lot about endangered animals and I knew gorillas were one of these animals. In this Wikispace you will learn about gorilla characteristics including behavior, physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and predators. You will also learn how gorillas are being affected by deforestation and poaching ,and you will learn different causes of deforestation.media type="custom" key="3438114"

__Gorilla Characteristics__ The gorilla is the largest living ape, and the average size of one is about six feet and 400 pounds. The gorilla is very muscular. It has a crest of bone on its skull. It has a big mouth. The gorilla has a foot like a man since it spends most of its time on the ground. They can be very vicious but are usually peaceful. They travel in troops that range from five to 40 gorillas. There is a single male leader with some other males. There are lots of females with young. The females and young sleep in nests in trees, while the males sleep in ground nests. The nests are occupied for one night. Gorillas spend up to eight hours eating. They eat juicy plant stems, leaves, berries, wild banana stems, and tree bark. Their predators are man and sometimes leopards. The lowland gorilla lives in the Congo river coastal regions. The mountain gorilla lives in the eastern Congo and western Uganda regions. Gorillas are greatly affected by deforestation and poaching. There are approximately 700 mountain gorillas left because of deforestation. One example of this is land being cleared illegally in Virunga park for farming. Other threats to gorillas are logging, agriculture, civil war, hunting "bush meat" trade, and mining. Most of these threats cause deforestation. Logging companies illegally log in protected areas. Farmers clear land since they depend on farming. Refugees of civil war escape through forest and destroy plants and have camps near parks. Mining is poorly monitored, and there is no thought about the affect on the environment. Gorillas are hunted for the "bush meat" trade. Hunters can kill any forest animal including gorillas and sell their meat. __Work Cited__ Kondo, Herbert. "Gorillas."//The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom//. 5th ed. Print. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=l&click_id=31&art_id=qw1089002342230B232 http://rainforests.mongabay.com/congo/deforestation.htm