Where does the animal come from?
Pygmy chimpanzees are found in forests in central Africa. They are also found between the Zaire and Kasai rivers. They are found in Kenya and nearby locations.
What does the animal look like?
Pygmy chimpanzees have long legs, a lighter body build, and more rounded head than a common chimpanzee. They are about the same size as a ten-year-old child. Pygmy chimpanzees have a dark coat. Their face, palms, and soles are bare. Most chimpanzees are over three feet tall. Adult males usually weigh 99 to 176 pounds. Females are shorter and lighter. Chimpanzees look a lot like humans, but their arms and legs are longer.
What type of shelter does the animal have?
Pygmy chimpanzees create large nests high up in trees for sitting and sleeping. They make their nests out of mud, pine combs, weed stalk, and other things that help make a sturdy nest. The nests are big enough to hold a whole chimpanzee family.
What does the animal eat?
Pygmy chimpanzees eat termites for their food. They fish for termites out of a mound. They often use weed stalk to dig around for termites. They also ramble daily through jungles and woodlands in Equatorial Africa, gathering fruits and shaking down tasty nuts.
Interesting facts about pygmy chimpanzees:
* they spend a third of their time in trees
* they live in communities of 15-80
* they can communicate to humans through sign language
* they use vocal sounds and facial expressions to communicate with other chimpanzees
* they are very acrobatic
* they pick through each other's hair to remove any dirt, burs, or insects
* adult males spend about an hour each day grooming themselves
* they mate from August to November, but those in captivity mate more frequently throughout the year
* their pregnancy periods last about 230 days
* in most pregnancy cases, the female chimpanzee gives birth to a single baby
* female chimpanzees generally give birth one every three or four years
* chimpanzees may greet each other by touching various parts of the other's body or by embracing
* their facial expressions cover a wide variety of emotion, including excitement, fear, and rage.
* chimpanzees use leaves to make "sponges" for soaking up water to drink
* their brains are half the size of a humans
* they live up to 40 years