Gorilla's can sometimes be spoken of in generalities, as many of the traits of it's 3 subspecies are similar, however, it is important to note that Gorilla's are not all similar and there are differences.

     The three subspecies of the Gorilla are mainly classified based on their geographical location.  These included the Mountain Gorilla, Eastern Lowland Gorilla and the Western Lowland Gorilla.

     A typical gorilla family includes a predominant male known as a silverback, the silverback is often named for the silvery gray highlight that runs along it's backside.  The silverback is strongest male and the undisputed leader.   There are often, though commonly only a single, immature males between 8 and 13 years old.  A silverbacks harem will consist of  three or four adult females, who ordinarily stay with the silverback for life, and three to six youngsters under eight years old.   This is the common structure of a group of gorillas.    Though this number my very in either direction, there is typically never more than one silverback in a family.  Males however that have not mated and formed a group can sometimes be seen in groups of other single males.

     When not resting or sleeping, a gorilla spends most of it's time looking for food. Although portrayed as the savage meat eating creature, gorillas normally eat mostly plant foods: leaves, shoots, fruit, bulbs, bark, vines and nettles. They also eat ants, termites, grubs, worms and insect larvae (how's that for meat?).   Gorillas take the day quite leisurely spending nearly 13+ hours sleeping or resting. Shortly after dawn they emerge from their nightly nests, eat some food and begin their daily exploration and travel.  The travel pattern of a gorilla group will consit of many moves and rests all the while searching and eating.  The male silverback decides where they go, when they go, and how fast they go there.

     Gorillas build new sleeping nests every night by bending nearby plants into a springy platform, usually on the ground or in low trees.  It is in these beds that the gorillas will spend the evening safe from any stray animals on the hunt.

     Western Lowland Gorillas are found in Western Africa. Reports list there remain only 10,000-35,000 western lowland gorillas in the wild. It is this subspecies most frequently seen in captivity.  The western lowland gorilla is found in south-east Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), and the Central African Republic.

     Eastern Lowland Gorillas are found in Eastern Zaire.  Currently there are approx. 4,000 free-living. Less than 24 in captivity.