Common Chimpanzee
Pan troglodytes
Mammal
Order Primata
Description
Length 2.5 - 3 ft., 125 - 175 pounds, males slightly larger.
Zoo weights higher. Much variation in body size and proportion. Coat mostly
black; short, white beard common in adults of both sexes. Baldness also
occurs in adults, more so in females. Face mostly hairless and light, darkening
with age. Ears large, nostrils small. Females have prominent swelling of
the pink perineal region while in heat; males have very large testes. Young
have white tuft of hair on rump.
Range
Western and central Africa, north of River Zaire, from Senegal
to Tanzania.
Status
This species is listed as threatened and commercial trade
is prohibited by international law. Principal cause of population decline
is habitat destruction, particularly commercial logging. Some hunting for
bushmeat or commercial purposes still occurs and has severely depleted populations
in some areas.
Photo © James P. Rowan |
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Ecology
- Habitat
- Humid forest, deciduous woodland or mixed savanna; presence in open
areas depends on access to evergreen, fruit-producing trees.
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- Niche
- Ominivorous. Mainly eats fruit and leaves, but during dry season will
eat seeds, flowers, bark, insects, birds and mammals. Diurnal, sleeping
nests built fresh each night. Mainly terrestrial, walking on soles of hind
feet and knuckles of forelimbs, but will spend time or build nests in trees
(especially young), using brachiation to travel. Communities number 15
- 120, but feeding is usually an individual activity, especially among
females. Males are gregarious and form a loose dominance hierarchy; lone
male occur. Neighboring community ranges overlap.
Life History
Mating non-seasonal; single young born after about 9 months gestation.
Young cling within a few days, ride mother at 5 - 7 months, are weaned at
about 3 years. Mature at about 10 - 11 years, earlier in captivity. Females
promiscuous, migrating to a new community during an adolescent estrous period.
Lifespan 40 - 45 years.
Special Adaptations
- Long fingers and opposable thumb allow for both gross and fine manipulation
of objects, big toe also opposable for grasping.
- Hairless face capable of a wide range of expressions; these expressions,
when combined with vocalizations, communicate a variety of messages.
- High degree of intelligence enables the animal to solve a greater range
of problems than any animal except human, particularly problems associated
with food gathering.
- Tool use: chimps will make a reed tool for extracting insects from
their mound nests or use rocks to smash the hard shells of various fruits.
Males will also hurl objects to elaborate their charging displays.
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