{"id":11967,"date":"2022-09-22T14:01:54","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T19:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=11967"},"modified":"2022-09-23T02:55:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T07:55:54","slug":"why-do-gorillas-beat-their-chest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/why-do-gorillas-beat-their-chest\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Gorillas Beat Their Chest?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019re probably familiar with the sight of a gorilla<\/a> standing on its back legs and pounding out an alternating drum-like sound on their chest. Have you ever wondered about this behavior? Why do gorillas beat their chest? Do only the males do it, or do females beat their chest as well? What about baby gorillas? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll answer all of these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of the Reasons Why Male Gorillas Beat Their Chest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"All<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Most of the time, the male gorillas are the ones beating their chests. There may be a variety of reasons they do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this section, we\u2019ll explore some of these reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. To Communicate Their Body Size<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gorillas are known for being large, but, as with humans, some grow larger than others. Male gorillas, in particular, can grow to be nearly 6 feet tall and weigh up to 500 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Competition is high between male gorillas; they compete for females as well as territory. The larger males tend to be the most dominant, which is to say, they have the greatest success when it comes to mating and becoming the leader of a gorilla troop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, males often beat on their chest to compare body sizes. Larger gorillas produce a deeper, more resonant sound, while the sounds produced by smaller males have higher frequencies.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This enables larger males to establish their dominance, and it allows smaller males to understand how they measure up in relation to the other males in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, chest-pounding is used as a way of communicating body size between males.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. To Prevent a Fight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because there is so much competition between male gorillas, there is at least the potential that fights will break out from time to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, gorillas are mostly gentle, docile creatures; they don\u2019t necessarily like to fight. When a male is trespassing on another male\u2019s territory or they are competing for dominance, they may exchange chest beats as a means of warning each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chest beats communicate each male\u2019s physical capabilities to the other. A deep, resonant pounding warns, \u201cDon\u2019t mess with me; you\u2019re probably going to get hurt.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, a more high-pitched sound may signal to a large male that the contender provides no threat and it isn\u2019t worth picking a fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, as this clever New York Times article<\/a> states, gorillas \u201cbeat their chest so they don\u2019t have to beat your butt.\u201d They do it to avoid a fight, rather than to provoke one as people often assume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. To Attract Females<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gorillas tend to gather in social groups of several females and one dominant male. The non-dominant males are more solitary and rarely have a chance to mate with any females in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, as you might imagine, these males often attempt to challenge the dominant males. The females are most likely to mate with the largest, most dominant males in their region.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These males will pound on their chest to compete for the attention of the females. If a particular female likes the sounds produced by the challenger more than that of the dominant male, she will mate with the challenger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. To Identify Themselves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Each gorilla appears to have his own \u201cchest-pounding style.\u201d<\/em> The number and speed of the beats, as well as the sound produced, varies somewhat from male to male.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, it\u2019s possible that gorillas pound their chests as a way of saying, \u201cThis is me; I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/em> It\u2019s a form of self-identification.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. To Intimidate Other Gorillas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Occasionally, dominant males will pound their chest to intimidate other males in the area. It is a way of not only establishing but maintaining their dominance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this short video of a gorilla beating his chest at the Toronto Zoo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pllv4A7dCIA<\/a>