Common Chimpanzee Facts and Infomation

Common Chimpanzee Introduction

The Common Chimpanzee is the one that most of us are very familiar with. It is no secret that they are very closely related to us in the way of their genetic profile. That is a fascinating aspect of our world that we continue to explore. There are many similarities from humans to them.

Common Chimpanzee Description

They have a very fun appearance to them just like other great apes. They have a long body with arms that are longer than the legs. This allows them to walk on their knuckles as well as to easily move in the trees by their arms. They are covered with hair that is either dark black or dark brown. Older Common Chimpanzees can be identified by the balding areas on their head.

Common Chimpanzee Distribution

There are areas all over Africa where the Common Chimpanzee lives. There are between 100,000 and 200,000 of them. They live in more than 20 countries near bodies of water. They can be found in the rainforests, the savannahs, and even the mountain ranges. They have a very diverse distribution which makes it hard to get a good count.

Common Chimpanzee Behavior

They are very social creatures by nature and form large troops. Inside of those troops are sub groups. They can move around from one sub group to the next as life changes occur for them. The Common Chimpanzee is well known for being extremely aggressive. The males are more likely to take part in such behavior than the females.

Observing their natural order, there is a very idealistic and complex hierarchy system. Everyone that is in the troop adheres to that hierarchy. It influences where they sleep, how they eat, and even who mates with who. The males are very dominant over the females of the troop.

The most interesting behavior though is that they are able to use a variety of tools. This includes those for self defense and those for hunting. They can problem solve and they can memorize according to various types of research that have been conducted. It is said to never turn your back on a Common Chimpanzee because they are both aggressive and very manipulative.

Common Chimpanzee Diet and Feeding

There are quite a few different types of foods that the Common Chimpanzee consumes. They love fruit so when it is in season that is what they are the most likely to consume. They also enjoy plenty of leaves and plants that are out there. Seeds are common for them to eat. They are known to eat large amounts of termites and insects. They take part in collaborative hunting efforts too. By doing so they can hunt for meat and share it with the most dominant troop members eating first.

Common Chimpanzee Reproduction

For the Common Chimpanzee mating can occur any time of the year. Generally the males and females are close to 10 years of age when they take part in it. The mating rituals can be very tender due to the social bonding that occurs. The mothers will give birth about 205 days after conception.

They take very good care of the young, and offer them direction and support for about the first five years of life. They can be seen cradling their young just like humans do. When the young get old enough they will ride around on the mother's back so her arms are free.

Common Chimpanzee Conservation

The Common Chimpanzee is considered to be endangered due to the destruction of its natural habitat. Hunting by humans also cause concerns as they result in lower numbers. Even with plenty of efforts in place though it may not be enough to protect them from extinction.