Gorillas communicate in many ways that is both verbally and non verbal. It is pretty loud when the gorillas are communicating but there is a lot of message that is passed on. When communicating they mix sounds and actions and this makes gorilla experts get a clear message of what they are saying.
Gorilla experts have identified around 25 different sounds gorillas make and their meanings. However, they have many more than the 25 sounds although they are not yet been interpreted. Some of the notable sounds they make include roars, grunts, growls, screams, hooting like an owl, staring with pursed lips and hitting of the chest. When some things funny happens among them, they laugh and also do the famous antic of bringing out the tongue.
Gorillas make use of their communication skills in their day today activities: they communicate to find food, for mating between the silver back and the female adult gorilla, the mother gorilla teaching its off springs, expressing their anger and distress and also creating a good social relationship within a gorilla family.
Gorillas have many ways in which they communicate, both verbal and non verbal. It can be very loud around gorillas when they are active and communicating but there is plenty of information about what their sounds mean. They often mix sounds with actions and that makes it more clear to researchers what is being said.
What is fascinating is that different gorilla troops sometimes can different in their ways of communications. Some gorilla troops have distinctive ways of communication amongst themselves and these are normally termed as gorilla communication slangs by the primatologists. Sometimes when a certain gorilla leaves his/her family he/she finds it hard to communicate with the other gorillas he/she has just met.
Baby gorillas also make sounds that are almost similar to that of human babies that is the sharp noises and whining as these are interpreted by the mothers who come to give help and care to them.
Gorillas have good hearing skills as they have those silent sounds they make that cannot be hard by humans. These are alert sounds from danger and trouble.
Gorillas in captivity can also comprehend human language or communication: the most popular scenario is that of Koko the gorilla that was reported to having known 1000 sign language and would understand 2000 words in an American English dictionary by Francine “Penny” Patterson an American primatologist.