Species: Gorilla

Use: General 

Authors: D. P. Watts

Methods: Focal Sampling

Publications/Presentations: D. P. Watts (1988). Environmental influences on mountain gorilla time budgets. American Journal of Primatology, 15, 195-211.

Behaviors

Feeding: Preparation and ingestion of food. Feeding bouts began when a stationary individual, either on arrival at a feeding spot or after having engaged in some other activity there for at least 5 seconds, started to prepare food for ingestion (which included chewing). They ended when the individual ceased preparation and ingestion for at least five seconds or shifted position by at least 1 m.

Moving: All locomotor activity other than shifts of position of at less than 1 m during feeding and resting and locomotion during play.

Resting: Stationary, nonsocial, behavior during which animals were not feeding (sleeping, autogrooming, etc.)

Social: Social interactions with a measurable duration, including play, allogrooming, sexual behavior, and some forms of agonistic behavior.

Other: Other subsistence behavior, including nest building, and, for females, nursing. Because it was usually impossible to be certain whether a female was nursing when she had her back turned, and because "other" activities occupied only a tiny fraction of observation time, they are not discussed below.