Mating is done while both gorillas are on the ground with the female (which is normally smaller than the dominant silverback) appearing to kneel on the ground while the male is on top throughout the copulation. When the female doesn’t respond positively, he may not take that rejection well and instead charge while slapping the female as he forces her to accept. He does so by advancing towards the female and then he touches her or makes a display with a sound. The mating processing is normally initiated by the female when it is sexually active however there are instances when the dominant silverback male also imitates this process. Well as earlier mentioned mating can be done all year round with the dominant male silverback mating all the females while they are ovulating. Well this is a question that leaves many wildlife enthusiasts scratching their heads. In fact the females can change groups multiple times as way of protecting their off-springs especially in case of a new dominant silverback taking over. The few that are loyal to him will stay however once that silverback dies they join other groups. On the other hand, because it’s the silverback that mates the females, once the males attain maturity, majority of them leave the group and go to become loners or group up with other bachelor gorillas and later begin stealing females from other groups.ĭespite the fact that the dominant silverback creates very strong bonds with the females in his group, as he grows very old and his reproductive cycle is soon coming to an end, the female in the group begin leaving him to join other groups. In fact they would to a certain extent mate with less subordinate males as research has proven. Interestingly a number of females leave their father’s group to prevent inbreeding, while those that don’t leave the group try as much as possible to avoid mating with their father. Between the age of 10 and 12, the female gorillas attain sexual maturity with the ovulation cycle beginning earlier at about six (6) years, however, the female stays infertile until 10 years when they are eventually mature. There are a number of factors that determine the mating habits of gorillas however, the best way to understanding this is by first comprehending the reproductive cycle of these forest giants. When do Gorillas become Sexually Mature / Reproductive? the western and the eastern gorillas are both known to mate while facing the same side however, instances of then doing it while facing each other have also been observed especially among the mountain gorillas. Mating can happen all year around a process that is normally initiated by the females irrespective of whether they are in estrus or not. Breeding in GorillasĪccording to the gorilla breeding customs, the females in a gorilla group are all breaded by the dominant male gorilla known as the silverback. External confrontations by lone males or other groups may occur and these are generally very violent however with the help of other mature male gorillas in the group, the silverback is able to defend his family. You can visit one gorilla family at a time. This explains why you cannot see all the gorillas in one park during your gorilla trekking experience. Interactions among various gorilla groups are extremely rare despite the fact that these have been recorded among the western lowland subspecies. They normally live in groups of about thirty (30) individuals, and it is worth mentioning that gorilla families are generally peaceful with just a few internal conflicts.
For more information about the types of Gorillas, you can check out article on Types of Gorillas in the world Gorilla Groups and Family hierarchyĪ typical gorilla group comprises of different family members that include infants, juveniles, adult males and females and then a dominant male who leads and guides the family/ group on what to do and where to go. There are two main species of the Gorilla (the Eastern gorilla and the Western gorilla) and each of these is comprised of two subspecies that is to say: the mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas that make up the eastern gorillas, and then the cross river gorilla and the western lowland gorilla that make up the western gorilla. These largely herbivorous forest giants share approximately 98% of their DNA with man making them the closest living relative humans. Today the largest living ape in the world is the Gorilla and these live within the verdant forests of Central as well as Eastern Africa. How do Gorillas Mate, Courtship and Reproduce
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