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WonderClub.com |
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CHIMPANZEE |
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The chimpanzee is the animal that resembles man most closely. It shares familiar human characteristics such as problem-solving abilities, a high degree of parental care, and a variety of facial expressions. |
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HABITS |
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The chimpanzee lives in a troop that numbers between 25 and 80. Each troop has a dominant male. The troop's home range varies in size from 7-8 square miles in the forest to 40-75 square miles in the open country. Active by day, the chimpanzee sleeps at night in a nest it makes in a tree, well above ground, safe from its predators. The same nest may be used for several nights if the troop is not on the move. Chimps stay mainly in trees during the wet season and on the ground whit it is dry. |
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BREEDING |
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Breeding takes place year-round. When one of the females in the group comes into season, or heat, she will mate with several different males. The males show no sign of competition between themselves. Females have menstrual cycles much like humans and come into estrus every 36 days unless they are pregnant. They give birth about every three years after a gestation period of seven to eight months. |
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The young chimp is carried everywhere for its first five months and is dependent on its mother for two years. By the time the youngster is four years old, it spends most of its time with other chimpanzees close to its own age. It reaches sexual maturity at eight to ten years. |
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FOOD & FEEDING |
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The chimp has two intensive feeding periods each day: early morning and late after |
