Other gorilla subspecies eat proportionally less fruit. They also eat the fleshy fruits of close to a hundred seasonally fruiting tree species. Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, eating the leaves and stems of herbs, shrubs and vines. Like other primates, each individual has distinctive fingerprints.

Gorillas' arms are longer than their legs when they move on all fours, they knuckle-walk, supporting their weight on the third and fourth digits of their curled hands. In comparison to the mountain gorilla, the western lowland gorilla has a wider and larger skull, and their big toe is spread apart more from the alignment of the other four toes. Adult female gorillas also have these crests, but they are much less pronounced. These crests anchor the massive muscles used to support and operate their large jaws and teeth. They also have a differently shaped nose and lip than other subspecies.Īdult male gorillas' heads look conical due to the large bony crests on the top and back of the skull. Compared to other subspecies, western lowland gorillas have a more pronounced brow ridge and ears that appear small in relation to their heads. Western lowland females may go gray below the ears and on the neck and top of the head as they age. In western lowland gorillas, the silver may extend to rump and thighs. Mature silverback males have a saddle of white hair across the small of their backs. The white patch helps the mother keep track of the infant and assists other group members in identifying the gorilla as an infant. A small white tuft of hair on their rump distinguishes infants up to four years old. Western lowland gorillas may have a more brownish coloration. Short, thin, gray-black to brown-black hair covers the entire body except the face.

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