Do gorillas sweat?

Gorillas sweat exactly like us: their sweat glands closely resemble those in humans and their distribution on the body is also similar to that found in people.

In both chimpanzees and humans, the so-called axillary organ is located in the armpit. In silverback males, this organ is particularly well developed. It consists of 4-6 layers of glands which secrete sweat and various scents. These scents play an important role as chemical signals within the gorilla group. When enemies approach the group, the silverback produces an intensive scent as an alarm signal, which spreads far and wide. In addition, scents are very important in reproduction: female gorillas who are ready to mate give off a typical smell, to which all group members react.