Western Lowland Gorilla

Linnean Classification: Eukarya, Animalia, Chordata, Mammalia, Primates, Hominidae, Gorilla, Gorilla gorilla

Regulator: As a mammal, the Western Lowland Gorilla is a Regulators; it is warm-blooded with the ability to regulate and maintain a relatively stable and constant internal environment and temperature (homeostasis), even with the variability of external environments.

Neither Migration nor Hibernation: Because Western Lowland Gorillas live in tropical rainforest habitats, they have no need for winter adaptations - the forests are warm year round. Thus, they neither migrate nor hibernate in the winter, as their environment has not made such adaptations necessary.

Specialist: Western Lowland Gorillas are specialists. The habitats they are found in are very limited: heavy equatorial rainforests of central Africa, in lowland forest and swamp forest. The food the eat is also specific: they only eat fruit and termites from trees they rest in or make nests from. Finally, they are unable to travel large distances at a time - only about 5 km a day. These traits and adaptations indicate Western Lowland Gorillas are only and specifically adapted for a particular environment, and cannot thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions/habitats. (Instead, as their specific habitats are being destroyed and lost, Western Lowland Gorillas are becoming endangered.)

Consumer: It is a consumer, as it cannot produce it’s own food but must consume other organisms to get the nutrients and energy its needs.

Omnivore: The Western Lowland Gorilla is an omnivore. The majority of their diet is fruit, but a large portion of their diet also consists of leaves, bark, rotten wood, seeds, stems, and insects like termites, caterpillars, and ants.

Niche: Western Lowland Gorillas are found in secondary lowland and swamp rainforests of Central Africa. They build nests on the ground or in trees, and eat leaves, bark, rotten wood, seeds, stems, termites, caterpillars, and ants. Being mainly herbivorous and consuming a larger proportion of fruit, they help disperse seeds throughout the forests. They also help create places where seedlings can grow and replenish secondary forests. The only natural predators to Western Lowland Gorillas are crocodiles and leopards - however, should the Gorillas go extinct, they would easily be replaced with other animals in their predators’ diets.