Otherwise, females have few friendly encounters and commonly act aggressively towards each other.įemales may fight for social access to males and a male may intervene. Maternally related females in a troop tend to be friendly towards each other and associate closely. However, aggressive behaviors between males and females do occur, but rarely lead to serious injury. Females form strong relationships with males to gain mating opportunities and protection from predators and infanticidal outside males. Bonds between them are maintained by grooming and staying close together. The bond that a silverback has with his females forms the core of gorilla social life. Blackbacks are aged between 8 and 12 years and lack the silver back hair. Younger males subordinate to the silverback, known as blackbacks, may serve as backup protection. The silverback is the center of the troop’s attention, making all the decisions, mediating conflicts, determining the movements of the group, leading the others to feeding sites, and taking responsibility for the safety and well-being of the troop. This likely serves as protection from leopards. However, while gorilla troops usually disband after the silverback dies, female eastern lowlands gorillas and their offspring have been recorded staying together until a new silverback transfers into the group. Joining a new group is likely to be a tactic against this. Without a silverback to protect them, the infants will likely fall victim to infanticide.
In a single male group, when the silverback dies, the females and their offspring disperse and find a new troop. This behavior has not been observed in eastern lowland gorillas. If the silverback dies, these males may be able to become dominant or mate with the females. However, male mountain gorillas sometimes stay in their natal troops and become subordinate to the silverback.
Mature males also tend to leave their groups and establish their own troops by attracting emigrating females. Mountain gorillas and western lowland gorillas also commonly transfer to second new groups. Both males and females tend to emigrate from their natal groups.įor mountain gorillas, females disperse from their natal troops more than males. Silverbacks also have large canine teeth that also come with maturity.
#ARE SILVERBACK GORILLAS MALE OR FEMALE PATCH#
However, multiple-male troops also exist.Ī silverback is typically more than 12 years of age, and is named for the distinctive patch of silver hair on his back, which comes with maturity. Troops tend to be made of one adult male or silverback, multiple adult females and their offspring. Gorillas live in family groups called troops. 1 Day Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village Visit.
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