Gorillas are amazing animals, not only because from a genetic point of view they are among the closest primates to humans, but also because they have their own peculiarities that make them exceptional animals. They are highly intelligent, with well-established social habits and, in addition, they have a communication system that includes various means.
Within its aspects of social organization we find the presence in each group of a gorilla called "silverback", which has a prominent role within it. Keep reading this article on our site and learn about the main characteristics of the silverback gorilla or silver back
What is a silverback gorilla?
A silverback gorilla is a adult male, sexually mature, who has leadership of the group Gorillas are a social species that live in a group with a variable number of individuals. In the eastern species, for example, families are made up of an average of 10 individuals, although much larger groups have been identified. In the case of the western species, they vary between 10 and 20 individuals depending on the subspecies. In this sense, in a group there may be only one silverback male or there may be more than one, but in the latter case leadership is always assumed by only one of them, the others will have a lower hierarchy.
Groups where there are more than one male silverback gorilla are mainly those where competition for food is minimal, and this occurs in the eastern subspecies, known as the mountain gorilla, which generally feeds of herbaceous vegetation, which is much more abundant. In the rest of the groups of gorillas there is usually only one male silverback
Characteristics of the silverback gorilla
In gorillas there is sexual dimorphism, which is oriented towards the size and weight of males, in which these characteristics are greater than in females. Although the presence of the grayish coloration on the back is common in various gorilla males, it is the one that manages to demonstrate greater strength, agility and knowledge of the environment who will assume the role of leader. In view of the above, the silverback gorilla will characteristically be the male of greatest strength and size within the group that conforms, which undoubtedly makes these individuals impressive in terms of its dimensions and beauty.
Unlike females, who reach sexual maturity between 8 and 10 years old, growing until this time, males become sexually mature after this age, between 12 and 15 years, so they also continue to grow until they reach this stage. Once it is reached, the presence of the gray coloration arrives in the lower part of the animal's back, a feature that gives rise to the name of the gorillas that possess, although it can also be known as dorsican. These individuals may show a pronounced sagittal crest, which eventually occurs in females but is less developed.
Size and strength of a silverback gorilla
As we have mentioned, females stabilize their growth at 8 or 10 years, while males continue to increase in size and weight until they are approximately 15 years old.
How much does a silverback gorilla weigh? The weight of males can be between 150 and 180 kg, while the average height is 1.85 cmIn this sense, the silverback male will be the one with the greatest traits mentioned within the formed family. Another particular aspect in males is the development of their canines, which are much longer than in females, and a leading gorilla will not hesitate to use them in cases of confrontation.
As for the strength of the silverback gorilla, this can be impressive, a single silverback gorilla can have the strength of several humans, which correlates with its size and weight.
Characteristics of the Silverback Gorilla Leader
As we have mentioned, a silverback male becomes the leader of the group when he is the highest dimensional within the group, but Furthermore, when he demonstrates that he has greater strength, he is more agile and manages to guide the other members to places where they can both be fed and stay safe. A leader of this species is even capable of knowing how to evade groups of humans, who are his main threat. One way in which these males demonstrate to assume the main hierarchical role is by hitting each other on the chest; this behavior shows the group and especially the females who is the strongest individual. Additionally, they emit various sounds that consist of species of howls or shrieks.
Once the leader has been recognized, he will have the mating exclusivitywith the females associated with the group, with whom he will have his offspring. When the leader dies or is replaced by another male, he may eventually kill the offspring of the previous male.
Other characteristics of silverback gorillas
Silverback gorillas are characterized by losing their agility over time to climb tall trees, which they do manage to do when they are small and young. This happens mainly because of the weight they reach, so they only climb in order to feed on plants that can support their weight and that are usually not so tall.
Although within certain limits, the leading males have a good relationship with their sons, whom they aggressively protect from any danger. In addition, they participate in certain games together and even occasionally allow them to sleep in the nest that they build on the ground.
Another characteristic of silverback gorillas is that they make the most vocalizations, since it is one of the forms of communication Within the group. However, the other members also emit them in order to indicate their position when they are not so close or visible to the leader.
When the dominant male detects a danger to the group, he prepares for his defense using the emission of specific sounds to alert the rest, it is also common for him to expel a strong odor, product of some glands that he has, in addition to the typical movements of blows on the chest. If despite all these actions the danger, which may be represented by another gorilla or humans with hostile intentions, does not move away, then the silverback gorilla will inevitably attack. These attacks only occur in extreme cases, because contrary to popular belief, these animals are shy and, although they can socialize with humans, they try to avoid them.
What is the world's largest silverback gorilla?
Gorillas in captivity are the ones that manage to reach the largest sizes and weights, in relation to those that live in the wild. As for the weight, it is mainly due to the lack of mobility. According to studies [1], one of the largest silverback gorillas in the world is the so-called Kumbuka, which reached a weight ofalmost 186 kilos and a little more than 2 meters tall
Another reported individual with impressive weight and size was one that also lived in captivity in the 1940s and 1950s in the United States, named Phil, who weighed about 250 kg, with a height close to at 2 meters.
