Chimpanzee Facts

About the chimpanzee

Chimps range through equatorial Africa, in both forest and savanna. Coarse black hair covers the body, but the face, fingers, toes, palms and soles are bare. They are bigger and more heavily built than bonobos, the other member of the genus Pan. Fruit is the main food, along with other plant parts, insects and sometimes smaller monkeys they hunt. Groups can top 200 members, though they split into smaller parties to forage.

A strict hierarchy led by males keeps order, and most disputes end without fighting, though groups sometimes attack each other over resources and mates. Nearly every population studied uses tools, shaping sticks, rocks, grass and leaves to get honey, termites, ants, nuts and water. Pregnancy lasts eight months. Infants are weaned around age three but stay close to their mothers for years afterward.

Did you know?

• An estimated 170,000 to 300,000 chimpanzees live across their range.
• Chimpanzees communicate with calls, facial expressions, gestures and body postures.
• There are four confirmed chimpanzee subspecies and a fifth proposed one.