Gorilla

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/gorilla

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Gorilla gorilla (Western gorilla) and Gorilla beringei (Eastern gorilla)
2. What is the conservation status?Critically Endangered
3. Why do adult male gorillas have silver hair on their backs?Adult male gorillas are called silverbacks because their hair turns silver as they grow older. The silverback is the leader of the group.
4. How do gorillas talk to each other?Gorillas use grunts, barks, roars, and chest-beating to talk. They also use facial expressions and body language.

Primate: A mammal of the order Primates, characterized by large brains, stereoscopic vision, and grasping hands and feet.
Herbivore: An animal that feeds on plants.
Silverback: An adult male gorilla, typically over 12 years old, distinguished by a saddle of silver-gray hair on its back, signifying maturity and dominance.
Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance.