FACTS ABOUT UGANDA CHIMPANZEES - CHIMPANZEE TRACKING AND CHIMPANZEE TOURS IN UGANDA

Chimpanzees, often shortened to chimp, are great apes that are closely related to humans. People and chimps have very similar DNA (about 98% of human and chimpanzee DNA is identical). Genetic studies show that chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestor. Chimps are intelligent primates and they live in a variety of environments in western and central Africa. Chimpanzees belong to different groups including the Common Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) in the West and Central Africa and the Pygmy Chimpanzees (Pan Paniscus) found in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo.

Quick Facts

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum:  Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class:  Mammalian

Order:  Primates

Family:  Pongidae

Genus: Pan

Species:  troglodytes - the Chimpanzee

Lifespan: 40 yrs in the wild, but have been known to reach the age of 60 in captivity.

Diet: Chimpanzees are omnivores, which eat plants and meat. Foods includes leaves, tender plant shoots, ants, fruit, small animals, seeds, plant bulbs, termites, tree bark, and flowers and often drink water.

Size: Males: Up to3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) feet tall, standing. Females: Up to 2-3.5 ft (0.66 -1 m) feet tall.

Weight: Males: 90 - 115 pounds (35 - 70 kg). Females: 57 -110 pounds (26 - 50 kg)

Gestation: About 8.5-9 months. Young ones stay with their mother for about 7 years.

Color: Black or brown-gray fur with black skin on chests, palms and faces.

Habitat: Tropical rain forests (in the forest edges and clearings), woodlands, swamp forests, and grasslands.

Senses: include smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch.

Recognition: Gorillas recognize each other by their faces and body shapes.

Predators: Predominantly humans and occasionally leopards. Chimps will defend their young with their lives.

Reproduction: Fully grown 12-13 years old and able to reproduce. Chimps usually have a single baby at a time; twins are rare.

Social structure: They live in small groups of about 40-60 individuals or smaller subgroups of 6-7 chimps referred to as communities or unit groups. They are diurnal therefore active during the day.

Physical Characteristics: Baby Chimpanzees have very pale skin in the areas that have no hair and a white tuft of hair on the rump. Mature Chimps’ Arms are longer than the legs, a short body, a slight brow ridge, large ears, small nostrils, a hairless face except for a short, white beard in both male and female adults, an elongated snout and black hair on most of their body (except their fingers, palms, armpits, and bottoms of their feet).  Some adult females become bald. Their feet have five toes, including an opposable big toe and they have four long fingers plus an opposable thumb (the thumb is shorter than the other fingers).

Stance: Chimpanzees are quadrupled and usually walk using all fours on the soles of feet and the knuckles of their hands, are very good at climbing trees and can only walk upright when they need to use their arms to carry something.

Size: Male chimpanzees are larger than the females.

Vocalizations and communication: Screams, cries that warn other chimps of danger in the area and Bark loudly when there is abundance of food, to call the others in their group to a feast. Their noises can be heard through the forest for about 2 miles/3 km. They also use many gestures to indicate needs and emotions like hold hands, hug, or even kiss, bare its teeth when frightened make a lip-puckering face when worried and smile indicates a relaxed chimp.

Behaviour/communication: These use tools in the wild to obtain food like ants and termites, as well as to scare away intruders. Young ones play using tools, wrestling, making sleeping nests, and climbing while learning skills they will use as adult. Grooming one another is a major occupation among chimps and they construct a fresh "sleeping nest" in the trees where they will sleep every evening.

Tourism: Chimpanzee tracking is allowed to a maximum number of 4 visitors per guided walk for only one hour. Safari itineraries are available for Chimpanzee tracking trips.

Chimpanzee tracking Rules