A Bit About Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees live mainly in rainforests. Tropical rainforests are home to all the world’s apes, but their territories can be from rainforests to dry grasslands, or even desertlike areas. You’ll find more chimpanzees in wet areas than dry. Scientists believe they live in groups called communities. They share the same territory. There are three types of groups: all-male, mother and baby groups, and groups of both genders. The community is usually controlled by the dominant male(s). Chimpanzees spend 50-75% of their time in the trees, depending on the season and the forest covering. Unlike gorillas, which make nests on the ground out of branches and leaves, and use the same nest every night, chimpanzees make beds in the trees. Each chimp sleeps in a new bed each night. Wild chimpanzees mate throughout the year. Females have their first babies at about 11 to 12 years of age. The pregnancy lasts for 230 days (21-22 weeks). They usually have a single baby every three or four years. Chimpanzees travel in a way called knuckle walking. They walk on all four. Like gorillas, chimpanzees support their upper body using their knuckles. They stand upright when excited, carrying food, or looking over tall grass. Adult chimps spend an hour each day in a social activity called grooming. They sit and pick through each other's hair during that time. They remove things like dirt and insects from each other. They often fight among their group to establish their rank in the social group. But they’re even more aggressive with a chimpanzee invading their territory and will kill them.