Typical chimpanzee habitat is tropical rainforest, but chimpanzees are also found in forest-savanna mosaic and in montane rainforest up to about 3,000 meters. Tropical rainforests are lowland equatorial evergreen forests that receive high levels of rainfall throughout the year (typically more than 2000 mm, or 80 inches, annually). Montane rainforests, also known as cloud forests, are found in cooler-climate mountainous areas in the tropics.
The foregoing comments refer to the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). The closely related pygmy chimpanzee, or bonobo (Pan paniscus), has a more restricted habitat. It occurs exclusively in lowland rainforest south of the Congo River (see map below).
Chimpanzees (both P. troglodytes and P. paniscus), which occur naturally only in tropical Africa, spend most of their time in trees and often move from tree to tree without descending to the ground. However, most longer distance travel is done on the ground. Much of their food comes from arboreal foraging. They also sleep in trees, building a new nest almost every evening. During the rainy season, nests are often used for resting during the day.
Both types of chimpanzee occur over a broad geographic range, especially the common chimpanzee, but their ranges are now fragmented due to human population increase and associated agricultural and logging activity (see map).
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Common Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
Image: Thomas Lersch
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Bonobo (Pan paniscus)
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