Facts About Chimpanzees
Published October 6, 2026 · FactsSeeker
Chimpanzees are endangered great apes from forests in western and Central Africa. The San Diego Zoo profile describes animals with recognizable ape anatomy, flexible feeding habits, tool use, social communities, and long dependence of young on their mothers.
Chimpanzees are great apes, not monkeys
Chimpanzees are classified in the family Hominidae, with the scientific name Pan troglodytes. The source groups them with gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos rather than with monkeys or baboons. One visible distinction is that apes, including chimpanzees, do not have tails. [1]
Knuckle-walking is a signature way of moving
Chimpanzees are described as knuckle-walkers because they travel using the soles of their feet and the knuckles of their hands. Their opposable thumbs help them hold branches and food, while fingernails and toenails are part of the ape-like anatomy noted in the source. [1]
Their hair pattern leaves key body parts bare
A chimpanzee’s face, hands, and feet lack hair, while the rest of the body is covered with long black or brown hair. The source also notes that their ears stick out somewhat, which helps them hear other chimpanzees in dense forest. [1]
They inhabit several kinds of African forest
Chimpanzees are not limited to a single forest type in the source account. Their habitats include tropical rainforest as well as lowland and mountain forests in western and Central Africa. [1]
Their diet is broad and includes plant and animal foods
Scientists have recorded about 80 different food items eaten by chimpanzees. The listed foods include seeds, fruit, leaves, bark, honey, flowers, and insects, and the source says these make up most of the diet. Chimpanzees also hunt other wildlife, including monkeys or small antelope, for meat. [1]
Feeding can be solitary or shared
The source describes feeding as usually an individual activity, so chimpanzees do not always forage as a group. At the same time, it notes that chimpanzees sometimes search for food together, showing that feeding behavior can vary by situation. [1]
They use tools to reach food and water
Chimpanzees are well known for tool use in feeding. The source describes them stripping leaves from a branch and dipping it into an ant or termite hill to reach insects. When water is scarce, they may chew leaves into a sponge-like form and use them to soak up rainwater from tree holes. [1]
Chimpanzee communities are built from smaller family groups
A chimpanzee’s home is a community made up of family groups. Those groups usually include about 6 to 10 individuals, while a whole community can sometimes have as many as 100 members. Leadership also varies, with one experienced adult male leading some troops and several males sharing leadership in others. [1]
They communicate in many visible and social ways
Chimpanzees use more than sound to interact within a troop. The source lists body language, facial expressions, hand-clapping, grooming, and kissing as communication behaviors, showing how much social information can be shared through actions. [1]
Males and females often differ in where they live as adults
The source describes a common social pattern in which a male usually remains in the community where he was born. Females, by contrast, transfer to other communities when they become adults, which changes the makeup of groups over time. [1]
Reproduction and maturity happen over many years
Female chimpanzees usually give birth for the first time between 12 and 15 years old. The listed gestation period is 7.5 months, and the usual number of young is 1. The source also lists maturity as 13 to 14 years for females and 15 to 16 years for males. [1]
Young chimpanzees depend on their mothers for years
Newborn chimpanzees are described as extremely helpless, with pink skin under dark hair that later turns black. A baby first clings to its mother’s underside, later rides on her back, receives milk until about three years old, and may not survive independently until age seven. The source also says a mother’s bond with her young may last for life. [1]
Adult size differs by sex
The San Diego Zoo profile lists chimpanzees at about 3 feet (0.9 meters) from head to rump. Female weights are listed as 70 to 100 pounds (32 to 45 kilograms), while male weights are listed as 90 to 120 pounds (40 to 55 kilograms). These figures show that males are generally heavier in the profile’s size range. [1]
Listed average life span differs for males and females
The source gives an average life span of 32 years for males and 40 years for females. Those figures are presented as averages, so they should not be read as fixed limits for every individual chimpanzee. [1]
They are genetically close to people and can recognize themselves
According to scientists cited by the source, chimpanzees and people share 98 percent of their genes. The same profile states that chimpanzees can recognize themselves in a mirror, a trait it contrasts with most other wildlife. [1]
Their endangered status is tied to several human pressures
The source identifies chimpanzees as endangered. It says illegal pet keeping has caused population decline, and it also describes hunting for food, hunting to protect crops, and habitat loss as conditions that have led to their endangered status. The wording points to multiple pressures rather than a single cause. [1]
Sources & further reading
Several details in the source use words such as usually, about, and can sometimes, so these facts should be read as general patterns rather than rules for every chimpanzee or every community.
Sources checked 2026-10-03. Our approach to facts · Suggest a correction