The Common Chimpanzee (Pan troglodyte) is a medium-sized, primate mammal in the Hominidae family of Great Apes.

The Chimpanzee has black fur. All great apes have a thick brow ridge of hollow bone that lies above the eyes. This ridge provides protection to their eyes. It has front facing dark eyes, a small pink nose, and rounded ears. It has no tail. It has five digits on each limb, with an extended big toe.

Great apes are not monkeys. Great apes (hominids) include humans, chimpanzees (2 species), gorillas (2 species), and orangutans (2 species). Chimpanzees are not related to gibbons (16 species of lesser apes), baboons, or monkeys.

They are most closely related to humans, sharing 98.6% of human DNA.

The Chimpanzee is shy and lives in dense rainforests. The wild Chimpanzee is only found in the continent of Africa. Only five countries in west and central Africa still have significant populations of chimpanzees: Gabon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon.

It eats fruit, flowers, and seeds. Sometimes it eats leaves and small animals.

It is a very social animal, living in communities of 15-100 individuals.

The Common Chimpanzee can live to about 50 years in the wild and 60 years in captivity.

Location of photographs: Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Uganda

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM