Silverback Gorilla

Marco to his battle morph, Gorilla

The gorilla is Marco's Battle Morph. It came from a sample of  Big Jim's D.N.A.

Facts on the Animal

Gorillas constitute the eponymous genus Gorilla, the largest extant genus of primates by size. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. The genus is divided into two species and either four or five subspecies. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of a human, from 95–99% depending on what is counted, and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the bonobo and common chimpanzee. Gorillas' natural habitats cover tropical or subtropical forests in Africa. Although their range covers a small percentage of Africa, gorillas cover a wide range of elevations. The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests of the Virunga Volcanoes, ranging in altitude from 2,200–4,300 metres (7,200–14,100 ft). Lowland gorillas live in dense forests and lowland swamps and marshes as low as sea level, with western lowland gorillas living in Central West African countries and eastern lowland gorillas living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near its border with Rwanda.

Gorillas move around by knuckle-walking, although they sometimes walk bipedally for short distances while carrying food or in defensive situations Wild male gorillas weigh 135 to 180 kg (298 to 397 lb) while adult females usually weigh half as much as adult males at 68–113 kg (150–249 lb). Adult males are 1.7 to 1.8 m (5.6 to 5.9 ft) tall, with an arm span that stretches from 2.3 to 2.6 m (7.5 to 8.5 ft). Female gorillas are shorter with smaller arm spans. Adult male gorillas are known as silverbacks due to the characteristic silver hair on their backs reaching to the hips. Occasionally, a silverback of over 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) and 230 kg (510 lb) has been recorded in the wild. Obese gorillas in captivity can weigh as much as 270 kg (600 lb).Gorilla facial structure is described as mandibular prognathism, that is, the mandible protrudes farther out than the maxilla. Adult males also have a prominent sagittal crest.

Acquiring

Marco got this morph in the first book. He and the

File:MarcoGorrila.png

other four Animorphs went to go battle morphs. They went to The Gardens to get these morphs. He was the first one to get his battle morph. Rachel and Cassie peer pressured Marco into going to acquire Big Jim. Marco was scared and reluctant about doing it. But, he acquired Big Jim sucessfuly. From the trip, Rachel got her African Elephant morph and Jake got his Siberian Tiger morph.

Usage

The gorilla is Marco's Battle Morph. It is also Marco's favorite morph. He is also Marco's  most used morph. This morph has been used in most of the battles. There have only been a few times he's used his secondary battle morph wolf. It is his strongest and most used morph. In The Ultimate it is made unclear if one of the Auxiliary Animorphs acquired this morph.

Books Used In

• The Invasion (Book Marco Acquired In/First Use)
• The Predator (Cover Morph)
• The Capture
• The Stranger
• The Alien
• The Secret
• The Android
• The Change
• The Unknown
• The Escape
• The Warning
• The Underground
• The Departure
• The Pretender
• The Suspicion
• The Extreme
• The Attack
• The Exposed
• The Experiment
• Elfangor's Secret
• The Sickness
• The Reunion
• The Conspiracy
• The Separation
• The Illusion
• The Prophecy
• The Proposal
• The Mutation
• The Arrival
• The Hidden
• The Other
• Back to Before (accidental morph)
• The Journey
• The Test
• The Unexpected
• The Revelation
• The Deception
• The Resistance
• The Diversion
• The Ultimate
• The Sacrifice
• The Answer
• The Beginning(Last Use)

Used in 52 books.

Owners of the Morph

• Marco
• Some of the Auxiliary Animorphs (Possibly)