If the world’s largest arboreal ape, the orangutan, and the world’s largest primate, the gorilla, squared off, who would take the upper hand and triumph? Both of these majestic apes are intelligent and strong, but who would prevail if the two came to blows? Well, before we give you our verdict, let’s analyze certain attributes about Gorilla Vs Orangutan to help us explain our ultimate decision.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Appearance
Gorilla Appearance
Gorillas are large, muscular mammals with broad shoulders, powerful chests, massive forearms, sizable palms, and short upper arms. Their prominent nostrils are at the center of their hairless, black face. Adult male gorillas have a defined sagittal crest along their skull’s midline, and white hair near their tailbone area, lending them the name “silverback.’
Females also have a pronounced sagittal crest, though it is less so than their male counterparts. Western lowland gorillas have shorter hair with a tinge of red atop their skulls, while their larger Eastern cousins have longer arm hair.
Orangutan Appearance
Orangutans are considered arboreal primates. They have brownish or dark tan skin, covered with sparse, coarse red hair covering their bodies and extra lengthy arms. They are known to those who live near them as “man of the forest” or Malay. Certain older females and the majority of males have entirely bare backs, but the hair on the rest of their bodies is so long, it covers them and moves along with them, much like a cape. An interesting and eccentric feature of the orangutan is a cheek pad, typically characteristic of older males in the species.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Size
Gorilla Size
A fully grown gorilla male can weigh as much as 200 kg (441 lbs) and reach a height of 1.6 to 1.7 meters (about 5.5 ft) when standing on two feet. That is the height of an average human. The females of the species are half the size of the males.
Orangutan Size
Orangutans only get to weigh between 33 and 82 kg (73 and 180 lbs), with a height of 1.2 to 1.5 meters (about 4 to 5 ft), similar to gorillas, with females also being about half the males’ size. Their lengthy wingspan due to the long arms and hands stretches as far as 2 meters (6.6 feet) from the further fingertip on one hand to the furthest one on the other.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Life Expectancy
Apes in general have a similar lifespan in the wild of about 35 to 40 years. When living in captivity, some have been known to live to the age of 50.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Geographical Distribution
Gorilla Geographical Distribution
The gorillas reside on the volcanic slopes of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ugandan regions. Certain gorilla subspecies live in bamboo and montane rainforests at high elevations, while most live in the lowland tropical rainforests of Central Africa.
Orangutan Geographical Distribution
Orangutans, on the other hand, used to reside on the Indonesian island of Java and roam throughout Malaysia and Southern China. Due to their shortage in the wild, two distinctive species can now only be found on the islands of Borneo (Bornean orangutans) and Sumatra (Sumatran orangutans).
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Society
Gorilla Society
Gorillas live in families, otherwise referred to as troops. They are led by the alpha (dominant) male, a silverback, and typically consist of around 30 members including offspring, females, and a few younger males. The alpha takes on the responsibility of organizing the troop’s migrations, feeding, leaf nesting, roaming territory, and sleeping locations. He would never take the troop swimming though. The gorilla’s only interaction with water is either rain or drinking.
Orangutan Society
Unlike gorillas, orangutans are primates who choose to lead a solitary lifestyle, interacting with others only in the cases of mating or a mother caring for her young. They spend up to 90% of their waking time in trees, where they construct a platform from broken twigs and branches, as well as bent leaves to give themselves a place to sleep. They guard themselves against the rain using vegetation, and though they can swim when need is, they aren’t great at it.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Sound
Gorilla Sound
Gorillas use a range of sounds to communicate. These include roars and screams to assert dominance, whether it is to intimidate another or respond to a threat. Often these screams are succeeded by charging. Whines and grunts can be made by both genders during copulation, while hoots or barks are used to warn the group of potential danger in the area. Gorillas also have a light-hearted side, exuding laughing sounds while having fun in their surroundings or interacting with other, younger gorillas.
Orangutan Sound
While the orangutan is the least vocal ape, it does make certain sounds. These include a kiss squeak, which is similar to a human smooch, made when the animal is either bothered or notices a predator. When orangutans build nests, orangutans sometimes perform a raspberry call. Young infants make soft hooting sounds, while a loud roar can be heard from territorial males, who are notoriously intolerant of other males in their area. These roars are made with their pendulous laryngeal sacs. When aggravated, both males and females express it with rolling guttural noises.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Intelligence
Among all primates, orangutans are the most intelligent, primarily because they have developed problem-solving abilities and they figure out how to use tools. If a caged orangutan was to be handed a screwdriver, it may open its cage and walk away. A gorilla would look at that same screwdriver and toss it aside. Humans score between 80 and 115 points on an IQ test, which is impressive considering that gorillas and orangutans can score between 75 and 95.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Diet
Both apes are near-strict vegetarians, living off of fruits, roots, stems, and vegetables. Some gorillas like to tear apart termite or ant nests, while orangutans have been seen eating red meats on occasion.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Bite Force And Strength
Gorilla Bite Force And Strength
Gorillas have immensely powerful jaws, with 1300 lbs per sq inch bite that can grind through plant roots and tree bark which constitute a large part of the gorillas’ diet. The power is supplemented by 2-inch-long canines, both proportionally longer than those of humans.
Orangutan Bite Force And Strength
Since orangutans consume between 120 and 1000 seeds daily, their jaws are suited extraordinarily for biting into and cracking seed germination banks, evolving to accomplish such a formidable task. By comparison to humans, whose second molars have a bite force of 247 to 292 lbs per sq inch (1100 – 1300 newtons), the orangutan’s second molar has a force of about 576 pounds per sq inch (or 2560 newtons). As evident, however, it pales in comparison to the power behind the bite of a gorilla.
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Speed
Gorilla Speed
Despite their size, gorillas can be surprisingly fast, moving at 30 to 35 km/hr (20 to 25 mph). A human would need to be on at least a bike to be able to escape.
Orangutan Speed
Orangutans, on the other hand, can’t easily outpace a human (whose running speeds average between 3 and 4 mph). They can only move at about 6 km/hr (2.7 mph).
Gorilla Vs Orangutan: Aggressive Nature
Gorilla Aggressive Nature
Though their look and size may lead one to believe differently, gorillas may look formidable and intimidating, but they are really gentle giants. They are also relatively nervous and can get startled easily. The majority of their violence is only directed at other gorillas, but they do need careful handling in human company.
The one positive thing about aggression in gorillas is that it rarely comes without warning. I gorilla will try to intimidate first, before attacking. Usually, this intimidation will be in the form of chest-beating, stomping its feet thunderously, and roaring. That leaves plenty of time to back away before being charged.
Orangutan Aggressive Nature
Orangutans are the most docile apes in existence. They are generally aloof, despite their intelligence, and can gaze into the distance for hours at a time. They will avoid confrontations and fights whenever possible, but their unwillingness to fight doesn’t mean they cannot exude their strength. They have seven times as much strength as humans, so don’t get into a brawl with an orangutan, if you value your body parts.
Gorilla Vs. Orangutan: Who Would Win?
While a battle between these two great apes would be something to see, there is basically no chance of it ever occurring since they reside in two entirely different habitats and would never really cross paths. Theoretically speaking though, a silverback who combats a fully grown male orangutan would likely win that fight.
Gorillas are bigger, stockier, and armed with lethal weapons for hands which they can use to deliver lethal hits. If they were to use their powerful jaws in the fight, their pronounced, sharp canines would certainly aid their advantage. A silverback has to establish dominance in their troops to earn respect and considering their adaptability to ground combat, gorillas would certainly have an advantage there.
Being arboreal animals, the gentle orangutan does not move well on the ground. They are not experienced in combat mainly because they live a solitary life and avoid other creatures and confrontations whenever possible. Their hands are very strong, but not effective for delivering blows, but rather for climbing. Their jaws don’t protrude and they don’t have powerful canines to work with.
With that said, the gorilla would almost certainly dominate an orangutan in battle, unless the silverback was already injured or ill. Outside of that, the orangutan would stand little chance if the two faced off.
Are you ready for an epic battle between two of nature’s most fearsome creatures? Our Grizzly Bear vs Gorilla Fight Comparison article will satisfy your curiosity about who would come out on top. With detailed analysis of the physical abilities and fighting tactics of each animal, you’ll be able to envision the hypothetical clash between these titans.
Frequently asked questions:
How much can an orangutan lift?
An adult orangutan can lift up to seven times its body weight, which is estimated to be around 130-180 pounds. They are incredibly strong primates with long arms and powerful muscles, which they use to navigate through their forest habitat and forage for food.
How strong is an orangutan?
Orangutans are incredibly strong primates and can lift up to seven times their body weight, estimated to be around 130-180 pounds. They have long arms and powerful muscles, which they use to navigate through their forest habitat and forage for food.
Are orangutan dangerous?
Orangutans are generally not considered dangerous to humans, as they are shy and gentle primates. However, like any wild animal, they can become aggressive if they feel threatened or cornered.
Hi, my name is Idammah, and I am a huge animal lover! I have always had a special place in my heart for pets, especially cats. I currently have a rescue cat named Simba, who has brought so much joy and love into my life. In my free time, you can find me playing with my cats or watching some animal documentaries. When not spending time with my cat, I enjoy writing about my experiences as a pet owner and sharing helpful tips and advice with other pet lovers. I hope to connect with other pet enthusiasts and share our love for animals through this blog.
