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COMMON CHIMPANZEE

GENUS

SPECIES

Common chimpanzees are typically found in tropical rainforests and savanna woodlands. Common chimpanzees have varied diets but primarily rely on fruit and other plant food items. They also consume insects like ants and termites, and sometimes acquire and eat small portions of meat from other animals, such as monkeys and duikers. As of 2020, common chimpanzees are classified as endangered by the IUCN. The greatest threats to their survival are poaching, habitat loss and degradation, and disease.

ECOLOGY & HABITAT

Pan

Common chimpanzees are highly communicative with each other and use facial expressions, vocalizations, and body postures to express their emotions. Males are territorial and often go on border patrols of their home ranges with other members of their community. During these patrols they sometimes engage in violence with neighboring groups. Group hunting of other primates and other animals is a frequently observed behavior. Common chimpanzees are highly intelligent and have demonstrated a capacity for transmitting culture through social learning. Common chimpanzees also frequently use tools in the wild. There is only about a 1.2% difference in DNA between humans and the common chimpanzee.

LOCOMOTION & BODY SIZE

P. troglodytes

BEHAVIOR

Common chimpanzees can climb trees and also knuckle-walk when they are traveling on the ground. When they are carrying food items, they often walk bipedally with a bent-hip, bent-knee gait. Common chimpanzees can range from about 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall (106 to 137 cm). Typically, adult male chimpanzees weigh between 88 to 130 pounds (40 to 60 kg), and adult females weigh between 60 to 110 pounds (27–50 kg).

LIFE SPAN

Common chimpanzees can sometimes live to be over 50 years old when in captivity, but in the wild, their maximum lifespan is usually 30 to 40 years old.

MORE SPECIES

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