Members of the order Primates, family Hominids, are considered an endangered species. Populations of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) have been reduced to areas of the Virunga Mountains of central Africa found in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Description and Identification Mountain gorillas are one of the largest mountain gorillas in existence. primates, just behind its cousin, the eastern lowland gorilla. Males weigh an average of 430 pounds and are 59 inches tall. Females, on the other hand, are much smaller than males, averaging 220 pounds and 51 inches tall. Mountain gorillas are known to have longer and thicker jet black fur. Older males are known as silverbacks because they have a short layer of silver hair on their backs that grows with age. Another physiological distinction between male and female mountain gorillas is that males have larger conical heads. The reason is that male mountain gorillas have bony crests on the top and back of their skulls. These gorillas can be distinguished by their nasal prints. Each gorilla has a unique nose print and, like the fingerprint, is unique to each human being. Mountain gorillas are known to walk on two arms and two legs. It's different from being a quadruped because they don't have four feet since there is a physiological difference between their arms and their legs: their arms are longer. They do, however, have the ability to run on both legs over short distances.Distribution and abundanceThe species Gorilla beringei beringei is found in central Africa and more particularly in two regions: Vol...... middle of paper.. .... mountains. In the Bwindi population, gorillas are more known for foraging for different fruits and as such climb trees more often than members of the Virunga region. Conservation and management Some reasons have contributed to why there are less than 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the world. Poaching, habitat loss and disease play a major role in the population size of mountain gorillas. Poaching is when adult gorillas are mutilated or killed by traps set to kidnap infants for illegal sale to zoos or as pets. The increase in armed patrols in the Virunga and Bwindi regions helps combat this situation. Due to the lush vegetation of the Virunga and Bwindi regions, there is increased interest in agriculture in forested areas and this increased interest has led to a loss of habitat for gorilla populations over the years..