CHIMPANZEE FACTS - CHIMPANZEE CONSERVATION IN UGANDA
Chimpanzees are closely related to humans with about 98% of human and chimpanzee DNA identity. Chimpanzees belong to different groups including the Common Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) in the West and Central Africa and the Pygmy Chimpanzees (Pan Paniscus) found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Chimps as commonly referred to are Black or brown-gray fur with black skin, live in habitats including Tropical rainforests, dry woodland savanna, grasslands, bamboo forests, swamp forests and even open savanna with bands of riverine forest and forest savanna mosaic. They grow to a height of 3 to 5 feet, weighing about 70 to 100 pounds for Females, and 90 to 130 pounds for Males. Their omnivores diet comprises of more than 300 different food types made of fruits, insects, flowers, seeds, birds, leaves, monkeys and tree barks. Chimps use tools in the wild to obtain food.
They have a lifespan of about 40 to 50 years and give birth to 1 baby after 8 months but sometimes mothers have twins. A baby chimpanzee weighs 3 to 4 pounds at birth and chimps will defend the young with their lives. They live in male-bonded societies within family bonds. With strong senses including smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch, they are very social primates a complex communication system and use body language, facial expression, grooming, vocalizations, cry, whimper, hoot and tooth clack to express their emotions or feelings and even kisses and pats to communicate with members of their group.
Chimps normally walk on all fours (knuckle-walking), and can swing from branch to branch of trees where they usually sleep in nests of leaves. Their predators are humans and occasionally leopards.
