3. The forest air is calm as a small group of chimpanzees forages for food in central Africa.
Suddenly, the silence is broken as the chimps begin drumming on tree trunks and
sending out a loud chorus of pant-hoots and food calls (a mix of grunts and barks) to
other members of their community, some as far as two miles away!
4. They have discovered a fig tree
full of ripe fruit; soon large
numbers of chimps gather
excitedly around the fig tree and
begin feasting. Chimpanzees are
omnivores, meaning they eat
both plants and animals—they
feed on fruit, leaves, seeds,
buds, bark, stems, insects, and
occasionally the meat of small
mammals.
5. Young chimpanzees learn from observing their mothers and
other adults which foods are safe to eat and where ripe food
is located. For the first few months of its life a baby chimp
clings to its mother's belly as she travels with it everywhere.
6. After that, young chimpanzees will
spend the next seven to ten years at
their mothers' sides learning how to
groom, make nests in trees, find
food, and use tools.
In the wild a chimpanzee may live
to be 50 years old and weigh up
to 121 pounds (55 kilograms).
7. No other animal uses so many different objects as tools. For instance,
chimps often fish for termites using a long piece of grass. The chimp sticks
the grass into the entrance of a termite nest, wiggles it around, then
slowly withdraws it—without losing any tasty termites clinging to the grass
stem. In one quick swoop the chimp eats the insects.
8.
9. Chimpanzees are found in dense rain forests, open woodlands,
and broad grasslands of Africa. The number of chimpanzees in
the wild has been reduced to about 200,000, scattered across
21 nations in Africa.
10. The scientific name for the chimpanzee is Pan troglodytes.
Chimpanzees are
apes, like orangutans,
bonobos, Gorillas, and
gibbons. Apes belong
to the primate order
that includes lemurs,
monkeys, and
humans.
11. On the ground, chimpanzees travel on all fours when walking.
During the day chimpanzees spend most of their time in trees,
sometimes swinging from branch to branch. They travel mostly on the
ground. They use a technique called knuckle-walking—their weight is
supported on the soles of their feet and the back joints of their fingers.
12. Chimpanzees live in social groups called
communities or unit groups that consist
of up to 60 members.
Each chimpanzee has its own individual
pant-hoot, a common call used in
different situations.
13. Chimpanzees travel in small bands of up to six animals, though
The membership of the travel groups changes
as individuals separate or join other groups.
Chimpanzees use various sounds and gestures to
Communicate with other chimps.
14. Grooming is an important
behavior for chimps, both socially
and for skin care.
Grooming helps
chimpanzees maintain
friendly ties with
community members. A
grooming session can
continue for a few seconds
or hours and include several
chimpanzees of different
ages.
15. In the wild female
chimpanzees give birth every
five or six years.
Chimpanzees forage for food
about six to eight hours a
day.
Chimpanzees can live about 50 years in the wild. In captivity,
some chimps have lived more than 60 years. Adult males
can weigh up to 121 pounds (55 kilograms).
16. The main threats to chimpanzees are the
loss of habitat from agriculture and logging, and
hunting by people for food.
Male chimpanzees try to
intimidate other males with
displays of dominance:
slapping their hands, stamping
their feet, dragging branches,
and throwing rocks.
