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The apes also have large teeth and sharp canines that can grow up to two inches long.Īpparently, gorillas mostly use their fangs for display as a defense mechanism against external threats. The jaw force is not the only thing that makes a silverback gorilla’s bite dangerous. Their bite force is the strongest among all great apes and definitely stronger than the bite force of a human, which is only about 162 PSI. Silverback gorillas have powerful jaws and a bite force that can reach 1,300 PSI. Larger silverback gorillas are slightly faster, with speeds that can reach 25 miles per hour. An average gorilla can reach a speed up to 20 miles per hour.
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Most of their limb strength is used to support their own body weights. In fact, gorillas have about 36.6% of their total muscle mass concentrated in their front limbs and about 42.5% in their hind limbs.ĭespite their strong limbs, gorillas can’t reach high speeds, though.
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This type of movement explains the presence of strong muscles in both front and hind limbs. Bipedal movements are limited and generally only employed for eating or socialization purposes. For locomotion, gorillas use all four limbs as legs (knuckle-walking). LegsĪside from strong forelimbs, gorillas also have strong hind limbs. Comparatively, the average man has a hand size of 7.6×3.5 inches. In fact, a silverback gorilla has a hand size of about 12×6 inches. Not only are silverback gorillas the largest primates, but they also have very big hands. There are no scientific studies, but considering that orangutans have a grip strength of about 600 pounds, it is safe to assume that gorillas are stronger than this. In addition to a strong punch, gorillas also have a strong grip. This force is similar to that of a Sumatran tiger. Based on their body weight and maximum speed, a gorilla’s punch can have an impact force of 12,500 lb.-ft./s. Similar to boxing, a gorilla’s punch force depends on its weight and velocity at the moment of the impact. However, this doesn’t mean that gorillas go around throwing powerful punches. Compared to the average man, silverback gorillas have a punch force about 30 times stronger. Silverback gorillas have a punch force up to 2,700 pounds – strong enough to shatter bones with one slam. The table below compares the height and weight of different silverback gorillas: Silverback gorilla subspecies Eastern gorillas are smaller, but adult silverbacks still exceed 400-450 pounds of weight.
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Western gorillas are the largest, with adult males reaching weights up to 500 pounds. There are two species of gorillas, each with its own subspecies. The actual size and weight of a silverback depend on its species. Grizzly Bear Strength ComparisonĪs adult gorilla males, silverback gorillas are the largest and strongest of all great apes. How Strong Are Silverback Gorillas Compared To Humans?.
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