The Chimpanzee (Pan troglodyte) is a mammal and a primate. It is in the family called Pongidae, which means Great Ape.

The Chimpanzee had black fur and is medium-sized. 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.

Chimpanzees are shy and live in dense rainforests. Wild chimpanzees are only found in 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.

Chimpanzees eat fruit, flowers, and seeds. Sometimes they eat leaves and small animals.

They are very social animals, living in communities of 15-100 individuals.

Chimpanzees can live to about 50 years in the wild and 60 years in captivity.

 

 

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM