The Eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) is a subspecies of the Common chimpanzee.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe chimpanzee's body is covered with coarse black hair, except for the face, fingers, toes, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. Both of its thumbs and its big toes are opposable, allowing a precision grip. Like most chimpanzee populations, the Eastern chimpanzees have amber to brown irises and dark sclerae.
Eastern chimpanzees are native to the Central African Republic, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. They once inhabited most of their native region, but their habitat has been dramatically reduced in recent years. They mainly inhabit lowland and submontane tropical moist forests, and savanna woodlands.
Eastern chimpanzees spend time both in trees and on the ground but usually sleep in trees, where they build a nest for the night. Chimpanzees live in communities of typically 20 to more than 150 members but usually travel in small parties of just a few individuals. They walk using the soles of their feet and their knuckles, and they can walk upright for short distances. When confronted by a predator, chimpanzees will react with loud screams and use any object they can get against the threat.
Chimpanzees are omnivorous animals. They eat seeds, fruits, honey, leaves, bark, fungi, insects such as termites, ants, and small prey such as birds and monkeys. They often use a twig as a tool to reach termites or ants in nests and have been seen using sticks to hunt other small mammals.
Little is known about the reproductive habits of Eastern chimpanzees. Generally, chimpanzees have a polygynandrous (promiscuous) mating system in which males and females mate with several mates in their community. A male and female can form a consortship and mate outside their community. In addition, females sometimes leave their community and mate with males from neighboring communities. There is no clear breeding season for chimpanzees, and mating can take place at any time of the year, with babies born in any season. Gestation lasts for about 8 months and then a single infant is born. The mother and her baby remain in continual contact during their first year. At two years old, young chimpanzees are able to sit independently and move about. They are weaned at the age of 4 to 6 years. They learn survival skills by observing their mother to find out what to eat, how to build nests, and make tools. Playing with other young chimpanzees allows them to practice grooming as well as wrestling skills. Females at 13 years of age are thought to be ready to reproduce, while males reach reproductive maturity at about 16 years old.
Eastern chimpanzees are threatened mainly by hunting and loss of habitat. Because chimpanzees and humans are physiologically very similar, chimpanzees succumb to many diseases that afflict humans. If not properly managed, research and tourism also present a risk of disease transmission between humans and chimpanzees. Other threats to Eastern chimpanzees include artisanal mining and changes in climate.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Eastern chimpanzee total population size. However, there are estimated populations of this subspecies in the following areas: 173,000-248,000 individuals in DRC; around 5,000 individuals in western Uganda; around 400 individuals in Rwanda; and less than 2,500 individuals in Tanzania. Currently, the Eastern chimpanzee is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
As predators, chimpanzees may control the populations of their prey species. They may also help with the dispersal of seeds of certain plants, through transportation, or by eating the fruit.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...