Q 01/05

What is the leader of a gorilla troop called?

A) A silverback

B) A greyback

C) An alpha bull

D) A patriarch

Answer · why

A) A silverback

The name comes from the saddle of silver hair that grows on a male's back once he matures, usually after age 12.

Q 02/05

What are the two recognised species of gorilla?

A) Northern and southern

B) Mountain and lowland

C) Highland and swamp

D) Eastern and western

Answer · why

D) Eastern and western

Each species has two subspecies, and a possible third, the Bwindi population, has been proposed for the eastern species.

Q 03/05

Which two animals are more closely related to humans than gorillas are?

A) Orangutans and gibbons

B) Baboons and macaques

C) Bonobos and chimpanzees

D) Lemurs and tarsiers

Answer · why

C) Bonobos and chimpanzees

Even so, about 15% of the human genome turns out to be closer to the gorilla than to the chimpanzee.

Q 04/05

Gorillas hold which distinction among the primates?

A) The fastest on the ground

B) The largest alive today

C) The longest-lived

D) The only nocturnal apes

Answer · why

B) The largest alive today

Big males stand up to 1.8 m and weigh up to 227 kg, with arm spans reaching 2.6 m.

Q 05/05

How long do gorillas typically live in the wild?

A) 35 to 40 years

B) 45 to 50 years

C) 55 to 60 years

D) 65 to 70 years

Answer · why

A) 35 to 40 years

Zoo gorillas occasionally pass 50; Fatou, the oldest known, was still alive past 69.