How long do bonobo monkeys live

Even so, female bonobos can be aggressive if needed. In one incident, three high-ranking females attacked four unruly males, biting part of the toe off the alpha male, who came slinking back to the family three weeks later. Despite their frequent sexual activity, bonobos have about the same reproductive rate as chimpanzees, giving birth about every five years. Females usually have their first offspring when they are around 14 years old, after a gestation period of about eight months.

Males reach puberty at about eight years old and females around five years old. Sons stay with their mothers their whole lives—maintaining close, special bonds—while bonobo daughters leave to join another troop, possibly trying out a few different groups before finding one to stay with.

Females take on most of the parenting duties, but males contribute to the troop in general by providing food and protection, particularly the young. Learn how bonobo "baby talk" may have takeaways for human language. An endangered species, bonobos likely number between 10, and 20, in the wild. There are captive bonobos living in zoos and other facilities worldwide.

However, there are several efforts underway to save the species. The Congolese nonprofit Les Amis de Bonobo un Congo , for instance, releases orphaned and trafficked bonobos back into the wild.

In , scientists discovered two wild female bonobos adopted infants from other groups, the first case of such an adoption found in great apes. In , German scientists Eduard Tratz and Heinz Heck championed the use of "bonobo"—what they assumed was an indigenous name for the species—and it stuck. All rights reserved. Common Name: Bonobos. They also have human-like gestures when communicating without sound — they beg by stretching out an open hand and they whimper if they fail at something. Bonobos move quadrupedally in a special position called knuckle-walking.

In trees, they also tend to suspend themselves from their arms to move around easier. And on the ground, they can walk bipedally upright on its two feet as well, making it the most human-like of all apes. They live in a fission-fusion society. Their communities range from 30 to 80 individuals but they separate and reunite on a regular basis. During the day, they break off into small groups to gather food.

At night, they rejoin their group to make sleeping nests from branches and leaves. While fruit is their favorite food, they also eat leaves, flowers, seeds, bark, fungus, and honey. More than types of plants make up their diet. They play an important role as seed dispersers, which is critical for forest regeneration.

They have been documented eating invertebrates and small vertebrates. If they eat meat, then it is usually opportunistic versus the result of an organized hunt. They are found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Total bonobo population numbers are unknown because only 30 percent of its historic range has been surveyed.

Estimates from the four strongholds, suggest a minimum of 15, to 20, individuals remain. Only a small portion of their habitat is protected and deforestation is rapidly destroying the rest. Bonobos are members of the great ape family, along with gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees. Bonobos and chimpanzees are really quite different—you just need to know what to look for.

Here's a quick check list so can tell a bonobo from a chimp like a champ:. Size— Chimpanzees and bonobos are about the same size, but bonobos are more slender and have smaller heads and smaller ears. Food— Chimpanzees eat plant material as well as monkeys and other mammals when they have the chance.

Bonobos eat mainly leaves, stems, fruits, worms, insects, and sometimes small fish. Location— Bonobos are found only in a small part of one country in Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. The four subspecies of chimpanzee range from western to central Africa. Getting Along— When trouble comes between chimpanzees, they often fight it out. They are also very protective of their territory and kill chimpanzees from another group, called a troop, if they try to move in.

Looks— Bonobos are more comfortable walking upright than chimpanzees are. They also keep their white rump patch for life, while the patch darkens with age on chimpanzees. Who's the smartest of them all? Some scientists believe that bonobos are the most intelligent of the primates other than humans, of course!

Scientists have taught a few bonobos, housed in labs, how to communicate with humans by using symbols that represent words on a board. They can understand spoken words and reply to questions or ask for things by pointing to symbols.

Bonobos even laugh when they are tickling each other or playing together, and they do other things that may remind you of some people you know! Nests aren't just for the birds! Physical description Differences between chimpanzees and bonobos are slight.

Bonobo hand and foot. Apes in the canopy Bonobos use a variety of forest types including primary and secondary forests. High densities are known in secondary forest on dry ground, and they are reported to spend much of their time in dense tropical forest canopy in search of food.

Social structure Bonobos are highly social animals, living in large communities of up to individuals. Subgroups usually contain individuals and are usually based on a female and her male offspring, and adult female associations.

Groups of bonobos often forage together. Larger subgroups can be found close to food sources. Although there is extensive overlap between community ranges, subgroups tend to avoid each other. If they do come in contact, serious fighting may ensue. Social relations within bonobo communities are largely affected by the species sexual behavior, which is used to manage and diffuse tension. Life cycle Females reach sexual maturity at approximately 12 years of age.

The gestation period is thought to be between and days. They normally give birth to a single young. Offsrping have a black face and hands, with ears hidden behind whiskers. The young are cared for until they are years old, and females have offspring in their lifetime. Male offspring remain with the mother's group for life, whereas females leave the maternal group for another at maturity. The lifespan of bonobos is unknown.