DietĮastern gorillas are herbivores, and they follow a foliage-based diet. They sleep in nests that are built on treetops. They reside in mountain rainforests, dense montane forests, subalpine forests, and sometimes in swamplands if the proper vegetation grows. Because of their silver saddle, older males are often called silverbacks. They have a silvery saddle on their back, which becomes white as the gorilla ages. Also, a male eastern gorilla can be identified by his sharp and large canine teeth. Sexual dimorphism exists in this species as males tend to be bigger than females. The arms of the eastern gorilla are about 15% longer than their legs. Like other gorillas, a strong smell emits from the apocrine glands in their armpits when they are under stress. The long arms end in hairless hands and fingers, of which the thumbs are larger than the other digits. The face of an eastern gorilla includes ridges above their eyes, a flat nose with enlarged nostrils, small ears, and larger jaws compared to other gorilla species. When they are 12, the fur on the male’s back changes from black to grey.Ĭompared to the rest of their bodies, they have large heads covered with fur – except for their completely bald faces. Mountain gorillas are smaller and lighter than eastern lowland gorillas. Probably the best site).Body and Coloration: Eastern lowland gorillas have a thick layer of deep black fur, while eastern mountain gorillas have bluish fur. Weblinks (self-help page for UK albinos) (encyclopaedia by US government of medical conditions) (explanation of genetics) (National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation in the USA. Not for him the lonely view from the zoo terraces: albinism seems to be one instance where human beings are kinder than animals. In any event, the US support and study group for the condition is called the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, with the acronym Noah.Īt least Noah was able to make animals go in two by two, and himself had three sons, one of whom is reputed to have had very dark skin. Was Noah an albino? A curious description of him appears in ancient Jewish writings: “His hair was white as snow, and his eyes like the rays of the sun.” Some scholars speculate that Noah might have been affected by albinism. Perhaps it is no accident that all gained fame through auditory media.įurther back in history, albinism is harder to detect, if we discount fictional characters such as Michael Morpurgo’s albino Maid Marion in his innovative children’s book, Robin of Sherwood, and the timid children Dorothy and Denis inE Nesbit’s 19th-century Bastable stories. Think of musicians wearing sunglasses: famous albinos include blues guitarists Johnny and Edgar Winter, who are brothers Salif Keita, the African musician and the Rev Archibald Spooner, famous in the 19th century for his comic inversions of words (“spoonerisms”). It is when light shines across them that they assume a pink tinge (like red-eye in flash photography). Despite being described as having red or pink eyes, albino people usually have blue or green eyes filled with light but more than commonly translucent. Not rare enough to be freakish, maybe, but uncommon enough to garner stares.įrom the inside, pigmentation is less of a problem for albinos than faulty vision, which may range from bad short-sightedness to near-blindness. The combination of recessive genes that creates albinism is rare: its incidence among all races of human beings is put at one in 17,000. Yet even crossing two albinos is not guaranteed to produce albino offspring. White mice, rats and rabbits are highly prized among pet-fanciers and breeders. Genetically, albinos are not a good bet.įor domesticated animals, the situation is different. Such vulnerability means that albinism tends to be bred out of the genes in the wild. Sometimes being taken into captivity or made a pet offers their best chance of survival. He will not be attractive as a sexual partner and may even be ostracised by his birth family. Albinism puts an animal at a great disadvantage. He is an albino, lacking pigmentation in skin and hair, with weak eyes, and with skin that can be easily damaged by the sun. Despite his magnificent build, it is unlikely that he will reproduce. In Barcelona zoo, this gorilla stands alone. Skin pigmentation is one aspect of appearance which has been used throughout history to categorise, exalt or degrade. Like most animals, human beings tend to be reluctant to stand out too far.
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