Where Do Gorillas Sleep?
The sleeping habits of gorillas young and old are interesting and varied. In fact, those who study gorillas can determine how many gorillas live in a community simply by counting the number of nests in a sleeping area. Gorillas have very unique sleeping habits, some of which may remind you of your own sleeping habits (for instance, did you know that gorillas sometimes sleep extra late on rainy days?), and others of which are very different from your own (you would probably never curl up and sleep in a tree!).
Gorillas usually sleep in nests. Their nests are not the same as bird nests, although some gorillas do build nests in trees. Nests are shaped like bowls, and usually built out of branches and foliage such as leaves. Other vegetation and materials surrounding the area may also be gathered together in order to make the nests more comfortable.
Tree nests offer superior protection and are built in the forks of trees to offer support for the gorilla as it sleeps. Depending on the surroundings and the safety of the group, gorillas may also make their nests on the ground. Male gorillas prefer to sleep on the ground and will rarely use trees, but female gorillas (particularly those who are continuing to nurse their young) will more often build their nests off the ground.
As male gorillas mature into “silverbacks,” they usually stop nesting in trees. Gorilla nests are built anew every evening, even if the nests are very close to where they slept the night before. Each gorilla builds his or her own nest—the only gorillas that sleep together are mothers and babies. About a half hour before night falls, gorillas will curl up in their nest and go to sleep until morning breaks.
Gorilla Sleeping Habits
Unlike humans, who require 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night, gorillas sleep much longer. Gorillas will stay asleep from about 6 o’clock in the evening to 6 o’clock in the morning, and will sometimes build nests for a midday nap. Sometimes when it’s rainy and dreary, these animals will prefer to sleep in a bit.
On mornings following a long and difficult journey through the forests, some gorillas will stop to take a nap and recharge. Others will nap in the afternoon. However, gorillas do not take naps every day. Sleeping occurs after gorillas have eaten their final meal for the day. Weaned gorillas around three to four years of age will begin becoming more independent of their mothers, and may build their own nests instead of continuing to share.
Where Do Gorillas Live?
Answering the question “where do gorillas sleep?” is impossible without first understanding where gorillas live. Except for those gorillas kept in zoos throughout the world, gorillas come from only one continent: Africa. The African continent has two distinct areas where gorillas may be found. The first is along the western coast, and the second is in the forests of central Africa.
Gorillas were first called by their common name by an explorer named Hanno the Navigator about 500 years before Christ. According to his writings, he found a very primitive and very hairy type of people who he deemed “gorillas.”
Although no one knows for sure whether the creatures he saw were truly gorillas, or if they were another type of ape or humans, the name stuck. There are three species of gorillas, the Eastern Lowland, Western Lowland, and Mountain Gorilla, each found in a different area of Africa.