Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo - Animal Fact Sheet


CHIMPANZEE (Pan troglodytes)
Range:	West and Central Africa
Habitat:	Humid forest, deciduous woodland, mixed savanna. May be found in more open areas if there is access to evergreen, fruit producing trees.
Diet:	Consists mainly of ripe fruit. Will also eat young leaves, seeds, flowers, resin, bark, termites, and animal prey.
Status:	Endangered (SSP) due to habitat destruction and poaching
Approx. Dimensions of Adult:	Weight: male: 88-132 lbs. Female: 70-100 lbs.
Lifespan:	40-50 years
Reproduction:	Gestation: 230-240 days. Offspring: Single. Females generally give birth by age ten to eleven in captivity and thirteen to fifteen in the wild. The single young is helpless at birth and dependent on the mother for five to seven years.
The chimpanzee is well known for its use of tools. Flywhisks, leaf rags and sponges are some tools made and used. Sticks and grasses are used to fish termites out of termite mounds. The stick is pushed into the hole and the termite, biting the stick, is pulled out and eaten. Sticks and rocks are used to break open the heavy shell of some fruits and seeds. Sticks, rocks and branches are also used in charging displays. The senses of the chimpanzee are similar to our own, and more than thirteen categories of vocalizations are recognized. These include soft grunts, pants, hoots and screams. The chimpanzee travels on the ground using a method known as a knuckle walk. Chimpanzee communities can have between 15 and 120 members in them. Males, females and young are found in groups that vary from day to day. The relationships among these chimpanzees are very complex. Recent DNA studies have shown that the chimpanzee is the closest living genetic relative to humans, sharing about 98% of our DNA.