Download Introducing Bonobos (with Teacher Notes)

Introducing Bonobos
Have you heard of bonobos?
Bonobo
Pan paniscus
Do the bonobos remind you of
anything or anyone? Why?
The Great Apes
•Bonobos
•Chimpanzees
•Orangutans
•Gorillas
• And according to some scientists, humans are
great apes, too.
Which is which?
Which is which?
Gorilla
Bonobo
Orangutan
Chimpanzee
Meeting the bonobos
• Bonobos are found in only
one country: the Democratic
Republic of Congo.
• They inhabit the heart of the
Congo Basin, the second
largest rain forest on earth.
• This region is also home to a
vast array of other wildlife
species including leopard,
forest elephant, sitatunga,
bongo, okapi, forest buffalo,
congo peacock, and a variety
of primates.
Describe the physical
characteristics of the bonobo.
Adult Females
Adult Males
• Average weight is 31
kg/68.3 lbs
• Average weight is 39
kg/86 lbs
• Average height is 2.3
to 2.49 ft
• Average height is
2.40 to 2.72 ft
Bonobo Social Groups
• Bonobos live in groups of up to 100
individuals. Most groups have between
25-75 bonobos.
They form smaller groups during the day to
forage.
• What is foraging?
57% of their diet is fruit
• Bonobos forage for
fruit, nuts, seeds,
sprouts, vegetation,
and mushrooms.
• They eat various
parts of plants,
including the leaves,
flowers, bark, stems,
pith, and roots.
• They also eat insect larvae, earthworms,
honey, eggs, and soil. Only sometimes
do they eat small mammals and they
very rarely hunt.
• You could say they are primarily
vegetarians or herbivores.
• At night, bonobos re-group and build night
nests in the trees
• These are made of branches, leaves, and other
vegetation.
• As they prepare to sleep, bonobos fill the
twilight with a symphony of soprano squeals.
Their high-pitched vocalizations sound like a
flock of exotic birds.