Silverback Gorilla Strength : How Powerful Is A Silverback Gorilla?
Silverback Gorilla Strength: How Powerful Is A Silverback Gorilla?
Silverback Gorilla Strength : The strength of a silverback is formidable, a typical silverback weighs up to 220 kgs and stands 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall,
Silverbacks are incredibly strong and can life more than 800 kg (1763 pounds) of dead weight which is approximately twice as much as well-trained weightlifter.
Gorillas divided into two species that is mountain gorillas and lowland gorillas, these primates share 98%, these primates share 98% of DNA with humans that is why they have most things closely related to those of humans.
Mountain gorillas live on the slopes of highlands and today they are found in Uganda, Rwanda and DR.Congo, these are one of the most attractive creatures on earth thanks to their interesting nature. Mountain gorillas can only be seen on gorilla trekking safari in Uganda, Rwanda and DR.Congo.
They only thrive in free spaces, they cannot survive in captivity
What Is A Silverback Gorilla?
A silverback is a male gorilla that has reached full adulthood, when the male gorilla reaches this stage of growth, he develops a swath of silvery gray hair on his back. This is similar to how humans develop grey hair in their late adulthood life.
Unlike humans, female gorillas so not develop silvery grey hair on the backs.
The silvery gray back of the male gorilla looks silvery, beautifully contrasting with the dark black hair of the rest of the body and thus the name SILVERBACK GORILLA.
This is also a sign of maturity in the silverbacks.
Silverbacks are known for their displays of dominance that includes whooping, chest-beating, charging, tree slapping and physical duels (which is less common). A male gorillas attains the prestigious status of silverback between the age of 13 to 15 years, before attaining this status, the gorilla goes through several stages of growth including
- Infant (0 to 4 years) that is still dependent on the mother breastfeeding
- Juvenile (4 to 6 years) that has been weaned by the mother and becomes semi-independent
- Adolescence (6 to 8 years) who are not yet sexually mature
- Sub-adult (8 to 10 years) who has become sexually active
- Blackback (10 to 13 years) sexually mature but not fully mature physically
- Silverback (13+ years) fully mature
Silverback Gorilla Weight
The silverback gorilla is the biggest ape in the world, by the age of 13 years the male gorillas have now turned into silverbacks growing tremendously in size that is twice that of the adult female gorilla.
The silverback will reach a standing height of over 6 feet (2 meters) and weigh up to 573 pounds (260 kilograms) and arm spans up to 2.6 meters. The heaviest silverback ever recorded was a 1.83 meters silverback shot in Cameroon which weighed 589 pounds (267 kilograms).
Male gorillas in captivity in be overweight and reach up to 683 pounds (310 kilograms).
Silverback Gorilla Strength Facts
- Silverback Gorilla Strength Vs Human
When comparing the strength of a silverback to human strength, gorillas are between 4 to 9 times stronger than man. Because of their size and strength, a silverback gorilla can lift double the weight of weight lifted by a strong human being.
- Can A Person Fight A Silverback Gorilla?
What if a strong man got into a fight with a gorillas, who would win the fight? Is a common question that runs in minds of many people. Fact is an unarmed human being could not beat a gorilla in fight.
In fact, if you had to go hand to hand with any other animal on the planet, a silverback gorillas would be the one of the worst draws you could manage. You would only survive If that was what the silverback wanted.
On average, a silverback gorilla weight is between 136 to 200 kg. The average weight of a human is between 60 to 80 kg and gorilla are wild animals. Their wild nature would not let them fight you like a human to a human, they fight wild and this can indeed lead to a very dangerous end of the fight.
This is seen even in their fights when a silverback gorilla fights with another silverback or any other gorilla. If gorillas engage in bite in the fight, there is no way a human would exchange this bite. The mouths of gorillas are larger, they also have powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
- How Strong Is A Gorilla Punch?
It is believed that a silverback gorilla punch is strong enough to shatter your skull with one slam of its arm, however this does not mean that gorillas go around throwing powerful punch. Gorillas are peaceful creatures despite their colossal size and incredible strength.
- Silverback Gorilla Teeth & Jaws
The jaw force of a silverback is not the only thing that makes them dangerous, these great apes also have large teeth and sharp canines that can grow up to two inches long.
The teeth are not for chomping flesh, they are used for display in particular, to defend against external threats as well as fend off other make gorillas competing for dominance.
- How Strong Is A Silverback Gorilla Bite?
Well, a bit for a silverback can cause death to humans and animals. A silverback’s bite is fatal compared to a bite of animals like lions, crocodiles and sharks which we fear the most.
These are the kind of creatures that share similar characteristics of monstrous massive mouths and razor – sharp teeth, boasting an ability to bite 1300 Psi. The mountain gorilla has a weapon that it can keep in reserve for emergencies. In comparison, lions can produce a more 650 Psi while the bull shark can strain itself to bite down at 1350 Psi.
So, while you may think of how strong gorillas are in terms of how much they can lift above, these rainforest giants also have one of the strongest bites on the planet.
- Who Would Win Lion Vs Gorilla?
Gorillas and lions all inhabit the same general area in East Africa. However, the African lion lives in the savannah ecosystem which is predominately grassland and gorillas live in dense forests.
It is unlikely that these two amazing creatures would ever meet, gorillas are big and an adult male can weigh up to 260 kg but a male African lion can weigh up to 190 kg which is on par with the silverback gorilla. African male lions have their neck surrounded by a thick mane.
This thick fur helps in shielding its neck when fighting and intimidating other males.
Also, gorillas have long and sharp canines designed not for flesh, but for intimidation. Though their jaw muscles are strong enough to tear through the bark, roots, bamboo, vines and twigs the still peal in comparison to the predatory teeth of the opponent – the lions.
Gorillas bite force of around 1300 pounds per square inch is one of the strongest in the animal kingdom, it is double that of a lion. But it is hard to say if a gorilla can fight a lion armed with a mouth full of teeth and claws built for hunting. The diet of a lion mainly consists of both large and small animals.
- Why Are Silverback Gorillas So Strong?
Silverbacks have remarkable strength, this due to several factors including their size, shape and diet.
- Gorillas have a unique robust physical structure
- Gorilla’s arms are incredibly muscular and quite a bit longer than its legs, gorillas are known to walk on all fours as well. By doing this, their arms receive an enormous amount of exercise daily.
- In the case with most animals and plants, diet is the driving factor behind a level of health, fitness and physical conditioning. Existing on a copious yet sustainable diet of plants, roots, shoots, fruits, wild celery, tree bark, pulp and sometimes small insects, gorillas are primarily vegetarians. Gorilla need up to 20 kilograms of food per day which requires constant gathering and consumption of food, they have a longer digestive system than human being do so they can extra more nutrients from plants than us. Mountain gorillas can absorb a high concertation of carbon which is the basic building block for like. As all mammals are carbon – based entities, this massive consumption of carbon helps gorillas to become extremely strong. Such as organic, highly nutritious intake of low-fat, high energy ammunition is the oil of the enormous gorilla engine.
Are Silverback Gorillas Aggressive?
Silverback gorillas are strong and capable of causing detrimental damage to those most deserving, but they are peaceful creatures and non – aggressive.
Their non-aggressive nature has earned them a name “Gentle Giants”
In the wild, a silverback uses its incredible strength to fall trees to reach its fruits. The gorilla families you will visit during your Uganda gorilla safaris are fully habituated for visitors. Mountain gorillas do not start fighting, in fact they do everything in their power to avoid them.
If a silverback gorilla is challenged, it is apt to cowed the challenger with impressive shows of physical power. He may stand upright and pound his huge chest, visitors on gorilla trekking tours are always advised to follow the gorilla trekking rules as below.
- Do not use flash photography as this could startle them
- Always remember to maintain a 7- meter distance away from gorillas, if you get so close they could feel threatened and thus become aggressive and charge you.
- Do not make sudden movements or loud noises as these could alarm the gorillas
- If a gorillas come close, remain submissive and do not look them in the eye as this is interpreted as a challenge. As tempting as it is, do not touch a baby gorilla.
- If you happen to look into the eyes of a gorilla, take a brief moment to enjoy the experience, but then immediately take your gaze off the gorilla’s eyes and look down. This signals to the gorilla that you are not a threat and that everyone can relax.
- Always stick with your group under the leadership of the park rangers and guides, moving out of the group without a ranger could put you in danger.
What Animals Are Stronger Than A Silverback Gorilla?
Few animals on earth can outmatch the strength of a silverback, however it does have some competitors. Along with grizzly bears, elephants are stronger than gorillas. African elephant are the world’s strongest mammals and can lift nearly 20,000 pounds.
The silverback gorilla has a mighty bite but cannot beat that of crocodiles, salt water crocodiles which are the heaviest reptile in the world have the strongest bite force at 3,700 PSI. the mammals with the strongest bite force are hippos with an estimated bite force of 1,829 PSI.
Although some of these animals are larger than gorillas, the silverback gorilla is not the strongest animal based on its size either.
Surprisingly, the honor goes to the dung beetle which can lift more than 1,100 times its body weight. As strong as gorillas are, there are creatures in the animal kingdom that are even stronger.
Surprisingly, that honor goes to the dung beetle, which can lift more than 1,100 times its body weight. As strong as gorillas are, there are creatures in the animal kingdom that are even stronger
