What kind of animal is a chimpanzee? We will explain its characteristics, ecology, and habitat. Multiple groups of males and females can be seen at the zoo. Among the existing primates, they are the most closely related to humans and have the advantage of being able to use tools dexterously just like humans. However, they are unfortunately classified as endangered species.
What is a chimpanzee? About basic status
Chimpanzees are great apes classified in the genus Chimpanzee, in the order Mammalia, order Primates, and family Hominidae. The scientific name is Pan troglodytes. The body length can be 70 – 80 cm and the weight can be 30 – 50 kg. The list of information is as follows. Males are larger than females.
| Japanese（和名） | チンパンジー |
| English（英名） | Chimpanzee/Common chimpanzee/Robust chimpanzee |
| scientific name(学名) | Pan troglodytes |
| classification（分類） | Mammalia、Primate、 Hominidae、Pan 哺乳綱、霊長目、ヒト科、チンパンジー属 |
| IUCN Status(保全状況) | ENDANGERED |
| Length（体長） | 70–80cm |
| Weight（体重） | 30-50kg |
About classification
The following subspecies of chimpanzees exist:
| 名前 | English Name | Scientific name(学名) |
| チェゴチンパンジー | Central chimpanzee | Pan troglodytes troglodytes |
| ナイジェリアチンパンジー | Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee | Pan troglodytes ellioti |
| ケナガチンパンジー | Eastern chimpanzee | Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii |
| ニシチンパンジー | Western chimpanzee | Pan troglodytes verus Schwartz |
Pan troglodytes troglodytes
Chego chimpanzees live in northern Angola, Gabon, southeastern Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea (continental region), and the Central African Republic. The skin on the body and limbs is black. The whole face is black.
Pan troglodytes ellioti
The Nigerian chimpanzee is a chimpanzee that can only be found in Cameroon and Nigeria, and its population is limited.
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii
Chimpanzees live in western Uganda, northern and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Tanzania, eastern Central African Republic, Burundi, southwestern South Sudan, and Rwanda. It is also called the woolly chimpanzee or the eastern chimpanzee.
Pan troglodytes verus Schwartz
It is called the western chimpanzee or the masked chimpanzee. Distributed in Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, southern Senegal, and southwestern Mali.
About habitat
Chimpanzees live primarily in Africa.
- Geographic Distribution
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) live only around the equator on the African continent (West and Central Africa).
Main Countries
West Africa: Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone
Central Africa: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria
Central Africa: Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of the Congo
East Africa: Uganda, Tanzania
*They do not live in the Sahara Desert or southern Africa.
- Habitat Types
Chimpanzees are highly adaptable to their environments and live in a variety of habitats, including the following:
🌳 Main Habitats
Tropical rainforest (most typical)
Deciduous forest
Savanna forest (mixed forest and grassland)
Riverside forest (gallery forest)
👉 They can adapt to both fully forested and open environments.
- Altitude
Lowlands to mid-mountain
Found from sea level to approximately 2,500 meters above sea level
(e.g., mountain forests in Uganda and Tanzania)
- Habitat and Behavior
Living both in trees and on the ground
At night, they build nests (beds) in trees to sleep
During the day, they often walk and forage on the ground
Tends to prefer forests near water
- Current Habitat
Due to deforestation and agricultural development, their habitat is rapidly shrinking
Habitat fragmentation makes it easier for populations to become isolated
feature is? What kind of creature is it?
Chimpanzees have a very high learning ability and are able to use tools such as hammers dexterously on the same level as humans. They live in groups of several to 20 individuals and are active during the day. At night, they rest on tree beds made of twigs and leaves. They prefer mountainous areas and tropical rainforests, and their home ranges can reach hundreds of square kilometers.
- Appearance and Physical Characteristics
Body Length: Approximately 1-1.5m
Weight: Males 40-60kg, Females 30-45kg
Fur: Black to dark brown (thinner on face, limbs)
Very long arms (longer than legs)
No tail
👉 Extremely strong, sometimes far exceeding the strength of an adult male.
- Locomotion
Knuckle walking is the basic locomotion
Good at climbing trees and walking across branches
Can also walk bipedally (short distances) when necessary
- High Intelligence
Tool Use
Fishing for termites with twigs
Cracking nuts with stones
High learning and memory abilities
Observing and imitating the behavior of others (cultural behavior)
Capable of simple language comprehension and symbol recognition
- Sociality
Highly social animals
Live in groups of several dozen individuals
Horse groups have hierarchy, alliances, and roles
Express a wide range of emotions (joy, anger, sadness, empathy)
What is your personality like?
Chimpanzees are not shy even when they meet someone for the first time, and they quickly get to know each other. They also tend to live in groups and are highly disciplined animals.
- Highly intelligent
Reads the situation and adapts behavior
Understands the positions and intentions of others to a certain extent
Performs deception and negotiation
Remembers past experiences well
👉 “Thinks and acts” personality
- Social and strong sense of community
Cares for its pack members
Cooperative hunting and defense
May rescue injured pack members
Builds trust through grooming
- Aggression
Very aggressive in territorial and rank-and-file battles
May attack other packs in groups
Strongly expresses anger, fear, and excitement
👉 Both gentle and cruel
- Expresses emotions
Joy, sadness, anger, jealousy, and empathy
Expresses emotions through facial expressions, vocalizations, and gestures
Mourning behaviors have also been observed
- Curious and playful
Exhibits a strong interest in new things
Learns through play
Plays with both children and adults
- Individual differences are significant.
Gentle individuals
Dominant and short-tempered individuals
Sociable individuals
Solitary individuals
👉 Each individual has a completely different personality.
What is the ecology like?
Chimpanzees are omnivorous, eating mainly leaves and fruits, but also seeds, flowers, leaves, bark, honey, insects, wild boars, monkeys, duikers, hyraxes, squirrels, and many other things. The gestation period is 227 to 239 days and sexual maturity occurs 8 to 11 years after birth. The lifespan is said to be around 60-70 years.
- Social Structure (Very Important)
Fission/Fusion Society
They form large groups of 20-100 individuals.
They do not always travel together.
They split into smaller groups (fission) depending on food availability, etc.
They reunite (fusion).
👉 A highly flexible and sophisticated social structure.
- Group Relationships
Male-dominated society
Males remain in their natal group.
Females migrate to other groups upon maturity.
A clear hierarchy exists.
Alliances and political maneuvering are observed.
- Daily Rhythm
Diurnal
Morning: Foraging and migration
Daytime: Resting and grooming
Afternoon: Foraging and social activities again
Night: Building a treetop bed and sleeping.
- Diet and Foraging Behavior
Omnivorous
Fruit is their staple food
Leaves, seeds, flowers, and bark
Insects (ants and termites)
Small mammals (sometimes cooperative hunting)
Tool-based food acquisition
- Movement and Living Space
Uses both arboreal and ground habitats
Distance traveled per day: several kilometers
Has a territory and defends it collectively
- Breeding and Rearing
Gestation period: Approximately 230 days (approximately 7.5 months)
Litter size: 1
Very strong mother-calf bond
Lactation and nursing can last for more than five years
Sexual maturity: 7-13 years
- Lifespan
Wild: 30-40 years
Captive: May live for more than 50 years
Are there any natural enemies?
Chimpanzees’ natural enemies are larger carnivores such as leopards and lions. There are other humans too.
About Chimpanzee Infants
This article provides an easy-to-understand explanation of chimpanzee infants (babies/juveniles) from birth to development.
- Birth
Litter size: Usually 1 pup
Birth weight: Approximately 1.5-2kg
Fur: Black to dark brown, with thin fur on the face and ears
Condition:
Eyes open
Firmly clings to mother
Clings to mother’s chest or belly immediately after birth
- Infancy (0-3 years)
Completely dependent on mother
Nursing continues for approximately 3-5 years
Mothers always carry their infants or carry them on their backs
Emotions are communicated through crying and facial expressions
The mother-infant bond is very strong
- Toddlerhood (3-7 years)
Gradually begins to play independently from their mother
Plays with other children and young adults, learning social skills
Learns tool use and food selection through observation and imitation
Returns to mother immediately in dangerous situations
- Learning and Play
Play is “Practice”
Chasing
Tree Climbing
Throwing Objects
Carefully Observing the Behavior of Parents and Older Adults
Inheriting the Chimpanzee-Specific “Culture”
- Juvenile to Adolescent Stages
Sexual Maturity:
Females: 7-10 Years
Males: 8-13 Years
Males Begin Learning about Ranking within the Group
Females Prepare to Move to Another Group
- Harsh Survival
Losing their Mother Significantly Lowers Survival Rate
Poaching and Deforestation Often Cause Orphanages
Sometimes Raised in Orphanages
Are chimpanzees an endangered species?
Chimpanzees are animals designated as endangered species. When CITES came into force in 1975, it was listed on CITES Appendix II, and in 1977, the chimpanzee genus was listed on CITES Appendix I, so international trade is severely restricted. Their habitat is being destroyed due to deforestation and development, and they are also being overhunted for food.
Conservation Status (Official Assessment)
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
IUCN Red List: Endangered (EN/Vulnerable)
This means that the species is at very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Why is it Endangered?
The main causes are:
Habitat destruction
Logging of rainforests, farming, mining, and road development
Forest fragmentation, isolating populations
Poaching and bushmeat
Hunting for meat
Many cases involve the killing of parents to capture young animals
Illegal trade
Captivity for pets and exhibitions (internationally prohibited)
Diseases
Human-originated infectious diseases (such as Ebola)
Increased contact with humans increases the risk
Current Population Status
Wild population: Approximately 170,000-300,000 (estimated)
Drastic decline in some areas, with some populations on the verge of extinction
Can chimpanzees be kept as pets?
As mentioned above, chimpanzees are designated as an endangered species and are also listed in the Washington Convention, so international trade is strictly restricted. Therefore, breeding them is extremely difficult. We recommend viewing them at zoos and events. If you have time, please take a look at the facility information.
- Legally, they cannot be kept as pets.
International Regulations
Chimpanzees are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
👉 International trade is generally prohibited.
In Japan
Act on the Conservation of Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Act on the Welfare and Management of Animals
It is virtually impossible for individuals to keep them as pets.
Keeping them is permitted only in zoos, research facilities, conservation facilities, and other institutions with strict government approval.
*Illegal keeping is subject to severe penalties.
- Extremely dangerous from a safety standpoint
Adult animals have several times the strength of humans
Their bite force is also extremely strong, and fatal accidents have occurred worldwide.
They are emotionally intense and can suddenly become aggressive.
Even if they are tamed and raised, they often become uncontrollable as they grow.
👉 Thinking they’re cute as babies is the biggest pitfall.
- Ecologically, keeping them at home is impossible.
They are highly intelligent and social.
They naturally live in social groups of several dozen individuals.
In cramped environments, they are prone to severe stress, self-harm, increased aggression, and mental breakdowns.
- Serious ethical issues.
Behind the scenes of the pet trade,
Parents are killed and only the young are taken.
This is a major cause of endangered species.
Keeping them as pets is
👉 An act that threatens the survival of the species.
コメント