Common Chimpanzee - Physical Description

Physical Description

The adult male common chimpanzee weighs between 40 and 60 kg (88 and 130 lb), the female weighs 32 to 47 kg (71 to 100 lb),. However, large wild males can weigh up to 70 kg (150 lb) and males in captivity, such as Travis the Chimp, have reached 91 kg (200 lb). Head-body length (from the nose to the rump while on all fours) ranges from 63 to 94 cm (25 to 37 in). Males can measure up to 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) tall while standing and females up to 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) tall. Their bodies are covered by coarse black hair, except for the face, fingers, toes, palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

Both its thumbs and big toes are opposable, allowing a precise grip. The common chimpanzee is both arboreal and terrestrial and spends its nights in the trees, while most daylight hours are spent on the ground. Its habitual gait is quadrupedal, using the soles of its feet and resting on its knuckles, but it can walk upright for short distances. The common chimpanzee is a 'knuckle walker', like the gorilla and the bonobo, in contrast to the quadrupedal locomotion of the orangutan, a 'palm walker' that uses the outside edge of its palms.