Tag Archives: Hominidae

Common Chimpanzee

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COMMON CHIMPANZEE

 

Common chimpanzee Facts

Common chimpanzee - Pan troglodytes

Common Chimpanzee Description

There is plenty to explore and evaluate when it comes to the Common Chimpanzee. They belong to the class of great apes. With hairy bodies, small ears, and big eyes they can melt out hearts. They also have pouty lips and eyes that seem further back into the head due to the protrusion of the ridge above the eyebrows.

There are many similarities between them and humans that you will want to explore. With a genetic profile that is very similar it is fascinating to see all about them. They have very long jaws that house flat molars in the back. At the front they have sharp incisors. There is more to the Common Chimpanzee though than just their physical attributes.

Common Chimpanzee Anatomy

Taking a closer look at the anatomy of the Common Chimpanzee, you will soon see it is a work of art. They have everything they need to successfully move around both on land and in the trees. They have a strong upper body with shoulder muscles that are very mobile. This gives them the agility and the movements for swinging back and forth in the trees.

They can also stand up while on land or in the trees. Yet you will rarely see them do so because it is a posture that is slow to them. It is also one that consumes lots of energy. Instead they are often seen on land walking on their knuckles. They are very strong and so this process doesn’t hurt them. It also doesn’t consume very much energy.

Common Chimpanzee Evolution

There is still plenty of speculation out there when it comes to the evolution process. It is believed that these animals were able to separate from the great apes around 20 million years ago. Further separation occurred about 1 million years ago. That is why we now have two species of Chimpanzees – this one and the Bonobo.

The study of Common Chimpanzee evolution continues to be one of interest. Yet it takes lots of time and money to be able to move forward. The lack of fossilized remains that have been discovered so far also make it difficult to say with certainty what has occurred over the span of millions of years.

Common Chimpanzee Behavior

It is very exciting to observe the behaviors of the Common Chimpanzee. They seem so human like in many of their characteristics. For example they can use tools to find food and even to defend themselves. They also have been seen playing and laughing just like human children do. The source of entertainment can often cause us to forget they are wild animals though. They have been known to attack humans and should never be raised as pets.

They need their natural environment to thrive and lots of interaction. One that is in captivity without the right environment can become depressed. They can also end up not eating and becoming very ill. You also have to worry about human illnesses that can be deadly to these animals.

They can be very aggressive towards each other and to other animals. They’ve been known to injure or kill humans too when they feel they are in danger. They are manipulative and you really never know what they will do. They are able to problem solve and they can remember things that have occurred in the past.

In their social structure though they are also very loving and caring. Their well being is often connected to this relationship. They need to be able to cooperate in their movements and for hunting. The females take excellent care of the young and they will even adopt those that have become orphans. There are many sub groups that are found within the larger troops.

Common Chimpanzee Habitat and Distribution

There are many locations all over Africa where the Common Chimpanzee lives. You may already know that they are found in the rainforests as that is the common home for them. Yet they are also living in the savannah woodlands and the mountains. As humans continue to invade their natural habitat, they seem to be forced to adapt to new regions.

There could be only 100,000 of them in the wild and there can be up to 200,000 of them out there. The number game is hard to get accurate due to how spread out they are. Add in the fact that they often move around and you will see that experts have trouble keeping track of what is a new troop of them and what they have already seen before.

Common Chimpanzee Diet and Feeding Habits

There are lots of different food sources out there that the Common Chimpanzee depends on for their survival. They are known to eat meat which some people don’t know. They can hunt as a group to be able to take down other animals. They use sticks as tools for getting into termite mounds.

There are plenty of plants and leaves that they consume as they wonder through their home range. They also look for seasonal fruits that will come and go throughout the year. They will feed for several hours a day – both in the early morning hours and then in the late afternoon before the sun goes down.

Common Chimpanzee Reproduction

The rainy season is the main time of year when they will mate. However, it is an occurrence that can occur at any time of the year. When they have lots of food though is when they are the most likely to take part in the mating process. They don’t mate until they are at least 10 years of age. That is also a reason why it is hard to get their numbers back up.

The mother will carry the baby in her body for about 200 days. When it emerges covered with hair and just a few pounds in size she will make it the center of her world. Should her baby die due to a fall or a predator she will greatly mourn that loss. There are several years between the birth of one and the next for the mothers. This gives them time to help their young to mature.

Common Chimpanzee Predators

Some people believe that the Common Chimpanzee doesn’t have any predators. They don’t have too many in the wild but a couple that can create problems for them. Since the Common Chimpanzee is often in the trees they can be attacked by dangerous snakes. They can also be attacked either on land or in the trees by the big cat called the leopard.

Humans have been in the same areas as the Common Chimpanzee for a very long time. The villagers of Africa have often hunted them for a source of meat. That continues to be a big problem even though the African government has made it illegal to do so. Now they have figured out they can make money by guiding hunts and selling the young Common Chimpanzees.

Humans continue to destroy the natural environment of the Common Chimpanzee. They introduce disease, they clear out the trees so they can sell the wood from the trees, and they clear land so they can farm on it. All of this results in a fight for them to find enough food and shelter to be able to survive.

 

Common Chimpanzee Related Articles

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Bonobo

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Bonobo

 

Bonobo Facts

Bonobo – Pan paniscus

Bonobo Chimpanzee Description 

The Bonobo Chimpanzee looks a great deal like the other species which is the Common Chimpanzee. However, they are smaller in size both in regards to height and weight. They are closely related to humans with more than 90% of the sameDNA. They have hair that covers most of the body and a face that includes a long jaw and sharp incisors at the front. They have lips that are large and many people find that to be a well known characteristic of this great ape.

Bonobo Chimpanzee Anatomy 

The average size of the Bonobo Chimpanzee is four feet tall and about 100 pounds. They usually are seen walking on their knuckles. The fact that they have longer arms than legs make this position one that they can easily do. If you ever decide to try it you will find the anatomy of a human makes it uncomfortable on the spine.

They also have an amazing range of motion in the upper body. This is accountable for their ability to move freely through the trees as they swing with their arms. Their body is one that is created for them to ultimately survive the changes that have gone on around them for millions of years. They can stand upright but normally do so only a fraction of the time.

Bonobo Chimpanzee Evolution 

We gave found a very limited number of fossils out there of the Bonobo Chimpanzee. What it has told us is that they used to live in Kenya rather than always in Africa. What occurred that allowed some of them to continue thriving in other locations? That answer could be partially the result of the evolution process.

The Chimpanzee has the closest overall DNA profile to us of any animals in the world. Therefore we need to find out what other animals along that same element used to be around but are now extinct. The puzzle is one that many experts continue to try to focus on as they believe the evolution process is what will help them to find those answers.

Bonobo Chimpanzee Behavior

Plenty has been observed when it comes to the behavior of the Bonobo Chimpanzee. They are remarkable animals with a great sense of individualism. At the same time though they are social creatures and they thrive off the interactions they have with each other. They have a social structure but not to the extremes of the Common Chimpanzees.

They do form sub groups within their troop. This is why sometimes the bonds between two of them are very strong. Other times though they are merely acquaintances. They do show feelings of hatred and ignore certain members of the troop which is very interesting. They can be aggressive to each other but often that aggressive is reserved for other monkeys or when they come into contact with humans.

One of the ways that they show dominance over other monkeys is by killing the young. They will take them back to their troop too which helps them to have food. It also increases the social ranking of those that are involved in such successful kills.

Ironically, these are the same Bonobo Chimpanzees out there engaging in loving and caring communications with each other. There is plenty of fun going on including wrestling, teasing, and chasing. It is fun to see these animals taking part in such behaviors.

Bonobos: Language Recognition

Bonobo Chimpanzee Habitat and Distribution 

The Bonobo Chimpanzees live in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They don’t share any areas of habitat with the Gorillas as the Common Chimpanzee does. They do overlap with various other monkeys though including the Baboon.

The scary thing is that only 30% of the territory that these Chimpanzees had 20 years ago remains. The rest has been taken over by humans and large numbers of the Bonobo Chimpanzee have died as a result. Today the estimated number in the wild is around 10,000.

Bonobo Chimpanzee Diet and Feeding habits 

They have a large home range and they memorize where to go for food at given times of the year. They love the fruits that grow but also know they are only offered for short periods of time in various locations.

They consume plants and leaves from trees when they can’t find fruit. They also hunt for small animals including the very popular flying squirrel. It is easy enough for them to get these squirrels in the trees where they spend large segments of time.

Hunting for food is something they do as the sun comes up in the morning. They will spend a few hours foraging for food and moving along. Then they stop to rest for several hours and make nests. In the later part of the afternoon they will again look for food before they find a place to nest for the night.

Bonobo Chimpanzee Reproduction 

Mating is very different with the Bonobo Chimpanzees. First, they will engage in sexual behavior even before their bodies are mature enough to create offspring. They often do so as a way to socialize with each other. There are reports of same sex encounters too and they are believed to be ways to show affection within the troop. These animals are also the only known in the world to take part in face to face intercourse as humans do.

After a female does get pregnant she will carry the baby around in her body for around 200 days. Then she will wait for the young to come out and feed it from her breasts. She will hold the baby just like a human does which is very interesting. They nest with their young very close to them and forge a bond that is strong and remains strong well into adulthood.

Bonobo Chimpanzee Predators 

In the wild there really are only two natural predators of the Bonobo Chimpanzee. They are snakes and leopards –both powerful aggressors that these animals have very little defense against. The snakes are found in the trees and they are able to crush the Chimpanzees before they swallow them.

The leopards can be found in the trees and they are also on the ground. They typically hunt at night though and find the Bonobo Chimpanzee resting in its nest. They have sharp teeth and a powerful grip with the jaw so it only takes a bit of time for them to kill and run off with their prey.

Yet all of this is a very little threat when you evaluate what humans do. They are the main reason why they Bonobo Chimpanzee is considered to be endangered. They are the reason why these animals many not have a future. In the villages around Congo bushmeat is very popular for their survival.

Yet these villagers have also found ways to make money. By offering to lead hunts of people that come to the area for an exotic kill they can feed their families. By selling the young Bonobo Chimpanzees they can make money that they didn’t have access to before.  The destruction of the habitat where these animals used to thrive continues to be a threat from humans.

They want to use this land to plant food and to take part in mining operations. They also continue to cut down the forest areas. The wood can be sold for large amounts of money. They also want the land to make their own homes in so that leaves little space for the Bonobo Chimpanzees.