Scientific classification: Chimpanzees belong to the Primate order. Some scientists classify chimpanzees in the family Pongidae and other scientists place chimpanzees in the family Hominidae.
Introduction
Chimpanzee are apes of equatorial Africa that, physically and genetically, are the animal most closely related to humans. Two species of chimpanzee, or chimp, exist: the common chimpanzee and the bonobo, also known as the pygmy chimpanzee. The common chimp is found in dense jungle and more open wooded savanna from Sierra Leone and Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean to the lakes Tanganyika and Victoria in east central Africa,watch chimpanzee movie.
Characteristics
The male common chimp is up to 1.7 m (up to 5.6 ft) high when standing, and weighs as much as 70 kg (154 lb); the female is somewhat smaller. The common chimp’s long arms, when extended, have a span half again as long as the body’s height and are longer than its legs. The bonobo is a little shorter and thinner than the common chimpanzee but has longer limbs. Both species use their long, powerful arms for climbing in trees. Watch chimpanzee movie On the ground, chimpanzees usually walk on all fours using their knuckles for support with their hands clenched, a form of locomotion called knuckle-walking. Chimpanzee feet are better suited for walking than are those of the orangutan because the chimp’s soles are broader and the toes shorter.
Protection
The greatest threats to chimpanzees are the continued loss of habitat to logging and agricultural development, and the hunting of chimps for export to zoos, for scientific research, and food. Conservation efforts that prohibit the hunting and sale of chimpanzees provide some protection; however, these bans are difficult to enforce. Sanctuaries for orphaned and recaptured animals provide the common chimp with additional protection in Zambia and Gambia, as does Salonga National Park for bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Social behavior
Major differences exist between the social structure of groups of common chimpanzees and bonobos. A dominant male typically heads a group of chimpanzees, using size and strength, or even aggression to assert authority. Bonobo groups are dominated by females and males rarely show aggression. Male common chimpanzees form gangs to hunt prey or patrol their territories. In a behavior that has been likened to warfare, watch chimpanzee movie, the gangs of males will sometimes attack and kill chimpanzees from neighboring troops that are found near their territories. Bonobos are much less aggressive toward neighboring troops and have been seen intermingling peacefully with other groups of bonobos for short periods.
Protection
The greatest threats to chimpanzees are the continued loss of habitat to logging and agricultural development, and the hunting of chimps for export to zoos, for scientific research, and food. Conservation efforts that prohibit the hunting and sale of chimpanzees provide some protection; however, these bans are difficult to enforce. Sanctuaries for orphaned and recaptured animals provide the common chimp with additional protection in Zambia and Gambia, chimpanzee movie, as does Salonga National Park for bonobos in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.