Difference Between Monkey and Gorilla

The key difference between monkey and gorilla is that most monkey species have a tail while gorillas do not have a tail.

Monkey and gorilla are two primates. These two primates are different; at the same time, they are similar in many ways. There is a difference between monkey and gorilla in terms of evolutionarily and taxonomically aspects as well according to body form, posture and food habits. It is also interesting to note that gorillas are the closest taxonomical relatives of the humans, after chimpanzees and bonobos in the animal kingdom.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. Monkey – Characteristics, Behaviour, Facts
3. Gorilla – Characteristics, Behaviour, Facts
4. Similarities Between Monkey and Gorilla
5. Side by Side Comparison – Monkey vs Gorilla in Tabular Form
6. Summary

Monkey – Characteristics, Behaviour, Facts

Old world monkey and new world monkey are the two groups of monkeys present in the world today, with more than 260 extant species. The Pygmy Marmoset is the smallest member, and it is only about 140 millimetres tall with a weight of 4- 5 ounces while the largest member (Mandrill) can weigh up to 35 kilograms and can be as tall as 1 metre at standing posture. Therefore, sizes of the monkeys vary vastly among species.

Moreover, monkeys show better adaptations to climb and jump among trees. Therefore, most are arboreal but, some species live in savannas. Furthermore, monkeys are omnivorous. Generally, monkeys do not stand in an upright posture but walk with all four limbs most of the time. Only new world monkeys have a prehensile tail and colour vision in their eyes. All monkeys have five digits with an opposable thumb in limbs. Additionally, they also have the binocular vision as other primates. Their lifespan could vary from 10 to 50 years, depending on species of the monkey.

Gorilla – Characteristics, Behaviour, Facts

Gorilla is the largest primate distributed naturally in the African continent. There are two species of gorilla. The largest gorilla is 1.8 metres tall and 200 kilograms in weight. Gorilla can walk and climb trees, and these abilities are advantageous for them in foraging through the wilderness. Their arms are long and strong. Hence, they are helpful in moving within and among trees while foraging. But usually, they are ground dwellers, and they walk on the soles of their hind limbs and the knuckles of the forelimbs. However, they walk upright on the hind limbs only for small distances.

Gorilla is predominantly herbivorous. Their coat colour is black to brownish-grey, which becomes grey with age. Unlike most of the primates and other mammals, the gorillas do not have a tail, which is a feature of the apes. Gorillas live in herds, and Silverback is the dominant male. Normally, a gorilla lives up to 35 years.

What are the Similarities Between Monkey and Gorilla?

• Monkey and gorilla are two mammals belonging to the order of primates.
• They are chordates of Kingdom Animalia.
• Both animals possess five digit forelimbs with an opposable thumb.
• They also have a binocular vision, higher brain capacity, improved tool-using behaviours.
• They have hands and hand-like feet.
• Moreover, they have forward-facing eyes.
• Most monkeys and gorillas live in herds; hence, they are social animals.

What is the Difference Between Monkey and Gorilla?

Monkey and gorilla are two primates. Monkey has a long tail while gorilla does not have a tail. Thus, this is the key difference between monkey and gorilla. Gorilla is a close relative of humans than monkeys. Furthermore, monkeys are omnivores while gorillas are predominantly herbivores. This is another difference between monkey and gorilla.

The below infographic summarizes the difference between monkey and gorilla comparatively.

Summary – Monkey vs Gorilla

Monkey is a long-tailed primate while gorilla is a tailless primate. This is the key difference between monkey and gorilla. Unlike monkeys, gorillas are taxonomically close relatives of humans. Both gorilla and human are great apes. Gorillas are larger mammals than monkeys. Moreover, gorillas have a larger brain than monkeys. Monkeys run along branches while gorillas swing from branch to branch from their arms. Most importantly, a gorilla possesses more advanced communication skills than a monkey. This summarizes the difference between monkey and gorilla.

Reference:

1. “Monkey.” LiveScience, Purch, Available here.
2. “What’s the Difference Between Apes and Monkeys?” Wonderopolis, Available here.
3. “Gorilla.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 May 2019, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “White and Beige Monkey” (CC0) via Pexels
2. “Male gorilla in SF zoo” Brocken Inaglory – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia