The largest of the great apes, gorillas are stocky animals with broad chests and shoulders, large, human-like hands, and small eyes set into hairless faces. The two gorilla species live in equatorial Africa, separated by about 560 miles of Congo Basin forest. Each has a lowland and upland subspecies.

What is the habitat of a gorilla?

Forest families

Gorillas typically live in the lowland tropical rainforests of Central Africa, although some subspecies are found in montane rainforest (between 1,500 and 3,500 meters) and in bamboo forest (between 2,500 to 3,000 meters).

Why do gorillas live in the forest?

Gorillas live exclusively in the tropical rain forests of Africa. ... At that time, climatic changes caused the rain forest to shrink into a few refuge areas. The savannah, which spread between these refuge areas, was not an appropriate habitat for gorillas.