Species: Gorilla

Use: General 

Authors: J. S. Lockard

Methods: Continuous focal sampling, location scan sampling.

Publications/Presentations: N/A

Non-social behaviors

Quadrupedal

Stand: On all four extremities.

Walk: Forward progression or backward motion.

Lateral walk: Forward progression with sideways deviation.

Run: (Conventional definition).

Tripedal stand/walk/run: On three extremities.

Bipedal stand/walk/run: On two lower extremities.

Sit: Buttocks in contact with ground or supported by heels with the back vertical.

Handstand: (Conventional definition).

Lie: Reclines on substrate.

Circle: Spin, roll, somersault in self-play (conventional definitions).

Climb: Movement up/over an object.

Jump: Vertical spring from substrate.

Fall: Tumbles abruptly from one position to another.

Hang: Suspended by one or both arms from elevated surface.

Scoot: Swings legs between hand placement while in a sitting posture.

Slide under: Squeezes beneath object in reclined position.

Self-directed Behaviors (while stationary)

Urinate/defecate: (Conventional definitions).

Collect/discard stool: Manually gathers feces/eats/or drops.

Cradle foot: While reclined, holds lower extremity in arm.

Self-maintenance: Manual grooming of face and body.

Rest: Reclined with eyes closed.

Pat: Hit self with hand.

Regurgitate: Manually collects vomit, eats/or discards.

Shake: Repeatedly moves hand/or head in self-play.

Adult self-nurse: Mouth own nipple.

Food and Environment directed behaviors

Consume: eat/drink.

forage: Search for, uproot, tear off and/or pick up edible items.

Chase birds: Rapidly following fleeing individual(s).

Pull/rock object: Manipulates object.

Pry: Attempts to open door/window with hand or object.

Thread: Attempts to manually insert object through opening.

Drape: Covers body part with bough or object (e.g., burlap).

Nest build: Arranges objects (straw, branches, burlap) in rim around and/or under body.

Hold object(s): Supports objects in mouth or extremity(ies).

Lick/sniff: Tongue touch or smell object.

Shred object: Tears apart or peels object with hands or mouth.

Rub: Touches object with back and forth motion.

Drop object(s): Releases object from mouth or extremity(ies).

Tool dig: Uses object to disturb substrate.

Lift/sift: Manually scoops soil and discards.

Brush substrate: Smooth and/or clear area with hand.

Look at/up: Eyes fixed on (environmental) object.

Noncontact Social Behaviors

Facial displays

Yawn: Tips head back, exposing mouth cavity fully or partially while inhaling.

Attention: Active, direct or over-the-shoulder observation of conspecifics/humans in area.

Relaxed face: Eyes neutral and mouth closed, surveys environment and visible other(s) without obvious attention.

Estrus gaze: Hard, fixed gaze by female conspecific toward male conspecific.

Stare face: Head tipped slightly downward, eyes hard and fixed. Lips pursed or curled back, may scream or roar.

Uneasy face: Refrains from direct stare at other. May have mouth tightly compressed and or head turned to side.

Pout face: Lower lip pursed and protruding slightly. Pulled down lip corners and hollow cheeks may be seen.

Fear grimace: Head tilted slightly back, eyes darting back and forth. Lips curled back at mouth corners, exposing gums and teeth.

Sneer: Upper lip drawn back.

Head shake: Moves head back and forth.

Play/laughter face: Mouth open and corners rounded. Exposed teeth and gums and laughing motions without vocalizations may be seen.

Vocalizations

Roar: Sudden, loud outburst of low-pitch sounds from open-mouth.

Growl: Deep, guttural prolonged sound.

Pant: Repeated, rapid exhalations.

Bark: Dog-like sound.

Wraagh: Abrupt, monosyllabic explosion of loud sound.

Pig grunt: Series of short, rough guttural pig-like sounds.

Belch: Soft, deep prolonged rumble.

Hoot: Series of distinct hoo-hoo sounds.

Chuckle: Series of raspy, successive expirations.

Sexual grunt: By male when copulation is averted/terminated before fruition.

Raspberries: Lips extended, rapid exhalation.

Staccato grunt: Similar to pig grunt. Grunts emitted on inhalation as well as exhalation.

Hoot-whine: High volume hoot with level dropping considerably to a narrow band of prolonged sound.

Postural displays

Strut displays: Stiff quadrupedal stance, arms bent outward at elbow. Frontal oblique, or parallel variants.

Strut display w/motion: As defined above, while walking alone or in parallel with other.

Running display: Bipedal or tripedal run with outswept arm (hand holding object or empty).

Reach for: Extends extremity in direction of other.

Throw: Manually tosses object.

Catch: While stationary, grabs thrown object.

Chest/body pound: Rapidly beats body with open, slightly cupped hands.

Kick at: Rapidly extends hindlimb out and back in direction of other.

Hit surface: Strikes substrate/structure with hand or object.

Social forage: Coordinated foraging with other(s).

Social sniff: Explores body part, excreta or secretion of other.

Wave: Flaps hand or arm in air.

Hand clap: Brings palms together rapidly.

Approaches: Runs or walks to stationary other.

Leaves: Runs or walks from stationary other.

Chases: Behind other, both running.

Conflict intervention: Supports one of two (or more) disputing others.

Leads/follows: In front of other, both walking.

Supplant: Concedes location to approaching other.

Proximity: Other in nearby location (with 30-60cm).

Contact Social Behavior

Agonistic/play interactions

Strike: Use of extremity in brief, sharp contact with other, e.g., hit, poke, kick.

Grab: Manually seize other suddenly.

Wrestle: Grabs and hits other. May roll on ground, each individual grappling, mouthing and slapping other.

Mockbite: Teeth in contact with other without penetration.

Bite: Seizes other with teeth.

Push/pull: Shoves away/draws other closer with extremity.

Steal: Grabs object from possession of other.

Body press: Uses chest to restrain crouched other.

Sexual interactions

Present: Remains stationary with ano-genital area towards other.

Probe: Explores genital area of other with hand or mouth.

Probe avert: Activity that foils successful probe; sitting, distraction, cowering, threatening, or exiting.

Mount: Assumes position for copulation dorsal-ventral, ventral-ventral or variation. Male may use hind limb in restraint of female.

Mount avert: Activity that foils successful mount; sitting, distraction, cowering, threatening, or exiting.

Copulation: (Conventional definition) with multiple thrusts; may see ejaculatory pause.

Adult/young interactions

Nurse: Suckles nipple(s) of female.

Nurse prevent: Activity that prevents young from nursing: blocking nipple, nipping at, and/or pushing away.

Hold infant: Support young against body with arm(s) while stationary.

Hold/carry solicit: Young holds arms above head in proximity to older other.

Carry infant: Supports young against body with hand/arm while moving; variants (e.g., dorsal carry, leg carry).

Pick up: Manually lifts young.

Release: Relinquishes hold on young.

Shift: Moves young to another position on body.

Retrieve: Pulls young back.

Shake: Abrupt manual movement of young.

Kidnap: Grabs young from another.

Infant cling: Young self-supported by holding onto another.

Drag infant: Manually pull infant while moving along substrate.

Swing: Rhythmically moves suspended young by arms.

Other contact affiliative interactions

Allogroom: Uses mouth or hand to inspect/pick pelage of other.

Social lick: Mouth to body part, excreta or secretion of other.

Caress: Gently rubs mouth or hand over body part of other.

Repose together: Sit or recline in contact with other.

Tickle: (Conventional definition).

Kiss: Mouth briefly touches facial area of other.

Hug: Embraces other with arm.

Social climb: Ascends/or descends other.

Fall off: Loses hold on other.

Jump on/off: Abrupt ascent/descent of other.

Solicit: Begs food or object from other.

Offer: Extend food or object to other.