VIDEO: Insane Gorilla Attack

You might not think much of gorillas, as they are oddly similar to humans.

But animals are instinctively protecting themselves and their territory.

That’s why gorillas can be just as dangerous and violent as lions or tigers when provoked.

According to Live Science, gorillas are large apes that are native to Africa. They are typically divided into two groups. The mountain gorilla lives in the mountainous regions of central Africa, while the lowland gorilla lives in the flat, dense forests of central and western Africa.

Though the two types are very similar, they have a few differences. For example, mountain gorillas tend to have longer hair, whereas lowland gorillas have short, soft hair, according to the Smithsonian.

Another difference is size. Lowland gorillas are 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) tall and weigh 150 to 400 lbs. (68 to 181 kilograms). Mountain gorillas are about the same height, though they tend to weigh a bit more. They are 4 to 6 feet tall and weigh 300 to 485 lbs. (135 to 220 kg).

Mountain gorillas live in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on green, volcanic mountains.

Lowland gorillas live in the forests of central and western Africa in Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A group of gorillas can have a territory of up to 16 square miles (41 square kilometers).

Gorillas are generally herbivores. They usually eat vegetation such as wild celery, shoots, roots, fruit, tree bark and tree pulp, but they have been known to eat small animals and insects. A male can eat up to 40 lbs. (18 kg) of vegetation each day.

Gorillas’ exact diet depends on where they live. According to Sea World, about 67 percent of a lowland gorilla’s diet is fruit; 17 percent comes from leaves, seeds and stems; and 3 percent comes from termites and caterpillars. The mountain gorilla eats a diet that is about 86 percent leaves, shoots and stems; 7 percent roots; 3 percent flowers; 2 percent fruit; and 2 percent snails, ants and grubs.

Gorillas live in groups. Groups of gorillas are called troops or bands. A band of gorillas can have as many as 50 members, though sometimes a band consists of as few as two members. Troops are led by a dominant male, called a silverback, which can often be identified by a gray strip of hair on his back.

Each time of day has its purpose for a troop of gorillas. Mornings and evenings are designated as feeding time. In the middle of the day, gorillas take a nap, play with other gorillas or groom one another. At night, the gorillas settle down in beds, made from leaves and twigs, to sleep.

Like humans, female gorillas are pregnant for nine months and usually give birth to only one infant at a time. Newborn gorillas weigh about 4 lbs. (1.8 kg). From the time they’re about 4 months to 2 or 3 years old, young gorillas ride on their mothers’ backs as a form of transportation.

At around 7 to 10 years, the young gorilla will become mature enough to have its own offspring. At this point, the gorilla will leave its mother’s group to find a mate. Gorillas can live around 35 years in the wild and more than 50 years in zoos.