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Chimpanzees are one of the great apes along with orangutans, bonobos, and gorillas. They have black hair covering most parts of their body. Next to humans, chimps are considered to be the most intelligent primate on Earth with excellent communication skills and the use of tools.
See the fact file below for more information on chimpanzees, or you can download our 23-page Chimpanzees worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
- A chimpanzee, also known simply as a chimp, is a species of great ape.
- Chimpanzees are considered human’s closest relatives, with 98.5% DNA similarities.
- Common Name: Chimpanzee
- Scientific Name: Pan troglodytes
- Phylum: Chordata
- Type: Mammals
- There are four recognized subspecies of chimpanzees based on differences in appearance and distribution.
- The Tschego (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) or Central chimpanzee, with about 140,000 still existing in the wild.
- The Western chimpanzee (P. troglodytes verus) with about 52,800 individuals still in existence.
- The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (P. troglodytes ellioti) with approximately 9000 still in existence.
- The Eastern chimpanzee (P. troglodytes schweinfurthii), with approximately 250,000 still existing in the wild.
Habitat and Diet
- Chimpanzees are native to tropical Africa and are mostly found in the rainforests, grasslands, and woodlands of Central and West Africa.
- The largest communities are seen in Gabon, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Chimpanzees are omnivores, which means they eat fruit, plants, and occasionally meat.
- Their diet consists mostly of leaves, plant buds, eggs, honey, blossoms, nuts, ants, termites, antelope, and bush pigs.
Anatomy
- Adult chimpanzees have an average standing height of 3 ft 11 in – 4 ft 11 in (120 – 150 cm).
- Males weigh approximately 88 – 154 lb (40–70 kg) and females 60 – 110 lb (27 – 50 kg).
- Their bodies are covered by coarse hair, which is typically black, but it can be shades of ginger or brown.
- The chimp’s face, fingers, toes, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet are hairless.
- Chimpanzees have a pronounced brow ridge, big eyes, a small nose, and a wide mouth.
- Their arms are longer than their legs and can reach below the knees when upright.
- Chimpanzees usually use all four limbs for walking, but they can also walk on two legs.
- Their hands have long fingers with short thumbs, and their feet are adapted for grasping.
- Unlike monkeys, a chimpanzee’s tail is not prehensile (capable of grasping).
- Adult males have sharp canine teeth.
Behavior and Way of Life
- Chimpanzees are highly social animals. They live in large communities of up to 150 members led by an alpha male.
- They spend most of their time in subgroups within a shared territory.
- Chimpanzees spend equal amounts of time in trees and on the ground but prefer to sleep in nests built in trees.
- Male chimps ensure that the territory is protected from outsiders through patrolling.
- Males stay in the community where they were born, unlike females, who may move from one community to another.
- Chimpanzees communicate with each other using various unique vocalizations. The complex system includes signaling for danger, food, expressing emotions, and for mating.
- Adult female chimpanzees spend much of their time caring for their offspring. Unlike males who hunt in groups, females prefer looking for food alone or with their offspring to avoid competition.
- The dominant alpha male is usually determined by physically fighting to be the strongest male in the community. Aggression within the community only occurs when it has something to do with the alpha position or fighting over females.
- Aside from impressive vocalization skills, chimps are also known for using different gestures and facial expressions to communicate.
- They are also one of the few animals that use tools. In studies, chimps have been observed using rocks to crack open seeds, nuts and sticks to fish insects like ants and termites out of crevices.
- Such skills are learned by baby chimps from their mothers. Unlike humans, baby chimpanzees are solely raised by their mothers until maturity.
- Aside from hunting, eating, and sleeping, chimpanzees spend much time grooming each other. They use their fingers to run through each other’s hair, removing parasites and dead skin. More than hygiene, grooming is another way to build friendships and strengthen bonds.
- According to the IUCN Red List, chimpanzees are classed as endangered due to decreasing numbers from 2 million to 300,000. Some of the reasons are loss and fragmentation of habitat, commercial hunting for bushmeat and traditional medicine, the infant pet trade, and disease.
- Chimpanzees can be infected with 140 human diseases like measles, hepatitis B, ringworm, and influenza.
- Between 1994 to 2005, a series of Ebola outbreaks killed thousands of chimpanzees and other apes.
- Today, chimpanzee communities in Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Togo are disappearing.
- In order to conserve chimpanzee populations, the WWF African Great Ape Programme is doing the following:
- Establishing, strengthening, and managing protected areas
- Developing chimpanzee-focused ecotourism
- Stopping the illegal killing of chimpanzees.
Reproduction and Lifecycle
- Chimpanzees reach puberty at the age of seven.
- However, females are not fertile for at least another three years.
- By the age of 13, they reach sexual maturity and are capable of reproduction.
- Male chimpanzees, on the other hand, reach sexual maturity at the age of nine.
- They mate with sterile females but are not allowed to mate with a fertile female until the age of 15.
- The gestation period of a chimpanzee is eight months.
- A female gives birth to a baby of about four-and-a-half pounds.
- For the first three months, baby chimps are held close to the mother’s chest.
- Females can give birth to a baby every five to six years and are able to reproduce until 40 years old.
- A chimp’s average lifespan in the wild is 45 years.
Chimpanzees Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about chimpanzees across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Chimpanzees worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about chimpanzees, which are one of the great apes along with orangutans, bonobos, and gorillas. They have black hair covering most parts of their body. Next to humans, chimps are considered to be the most intelligent primate on Earth with excellent communication skills and the use of tools.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Chimpanzee Facts
- The Great Apes
- Chimpanzee Community
- What a Body!
- Tools-using Primate
- Chimp Vocab
- Monkeys v. Apes
- Mommy Chimps
- 2% Difference
- Chimping Video
- The Chimpanzee Style
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of chimpanzees called?
A group of chimpanzees is called a community. However, the term community is also used for a group of chimps, monkeys, or apes.
How fast can a chimpanzee run?
Chimpanzees can reach speeds of 25mph (40kph) when running. However, they generally prefer to swing from one place to another.
Are chimpanzees clever?
Research on chimpanzees puts their estimated IQ around that of the average for a human toddler.
Where are chimpanzees found?
Wild chimpanzees can only be found in Africa. However, many zoos around the world have resident chimps.
Can chimpanzees swim?
There is evidence that chimps enjoy playing with water and can swim.
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Link will appear as Chimpanzees Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 25, 2018
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.