Free
They have hands with five fingers and feet with five toes. They can walk on two legs. They live in communities. They take care of one another. And they’re smart. What are these human-like beings? Chimpanzees!
Chimpanzees are part of a group of animals called primates. Primates have a big brain compared to the size of their body. They have eyes that look forward and provide depth perception. (Depth perception allows primates to judge how big and how far away things are.) Chimps are part of a group of primates known as apes. They live in Central Africa. And they’re our closest relatives!
◀ Like us, chimps walk on two legs – some of the time. As in when they reach for something or carry something. At other times, they knuckle walk. Or they use their strong arms to swing from tree branch to tree branch. Hair covers most of their skin and varies from dark brown to black.
Try picking up a sandwich without using your thumbs. It’s hard, right? Luckily, our opposable thumbs make it easy. Chimps have opposable thumbs (and opposable big toes, too). They use them to pick up and handle food. And to grasp and hold things. Opposable thumbs and big toes let chimps do almost everything they need to do to survive. ▶
Loading the player...
▲ Chimps look out for each other. Adults have even been known to adopt orphaned chimps. This is important because young chimps stay with their mother for many years while they learn how to survive. And along the way, they have fun. They play. They wrestle. They tickle each other. They laugh. And they show their feelings.
Check It Out!
What’s the difference between a chimp and a monkey?
The easiest way to tell the difference between chimps and monkeys is to look for a tail. Most monkeys have them, but chimps do not. What’s more, monkeys’ arms and legs are about the same length, and they always walk on all fours. Chimps arms are much longer than their legs and allow them to knuckle walk.
Tools!
Chimps use tools. They have been seen using a blade of grass or a twig to “fish” for a tasty meal of ants or termites.
