chimpanzee

Introduction
Natural history
Conservation status
Social behaviour
Intelligence
Taxonomy

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

A common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) sits on a rock holding a long blade of grass in its mouth, with dense green foliage in the background.

Close-up of a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) looking through green forest foliage, with its face clearly visible and mouth slightly open.

The video thumbnail image shows two black and white photos of monkey and ape heads, surrounded by blue and pink circles.

Map of central and western Africa showing the geographic ranges of chimpanzee and bonobo species, with color-coded areas for western chimpanzee (blue), Nigerian-Cameroon chimpanzee (purple), central chimpanzee (pink), eastern chimpanzee (orange), and bonobo (green). The ranges are concentrated in countries such as Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and surrounding regions.

Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) holding a stick and inserting it into a hole in a tree trunk, demonstrating tool use.

Diagram tracing the evolutionary split of humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas over the past 12 million years, with skull illustrations for key hominin species and African great apes, and branching lines showing divergence points.

At a Glance

chimpanzee summary

Quizzes

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Animals, mammals.

Ultimate Animals Quiz

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Deadliest Animals Quiz

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Related Questions

At what age are chimpanzees weaned?
Can chimpanzees learn sign language or use symbols?
Can chimpanzees walk upright?
Do chimpanzees eat meat?
How can male and female chimpanzees be told apart?
How do baby chimpanzees travel with their mothers as they grow?
How do chimpanzee communities organize their groups?
How do chimpanzees combine sticks and leafy sponges to collect water?
How do chimpanzees fish for termites and ants?
How do chimpanzees hunt monkeys and other mammals?
How do chimpanzees move through trees?
How do chimpanzees use leaves as drinking tools?
How do chimpanzees use stones and wood to crack nuts?
How do chimpanzees use tool sets to collect termites?
How do young chimpanzees look different from older chimpanzees?
How is chimpanzee play panting similar to human laughter?
How long are chimpanzees pregnant?
How many chimpanzees can live in one community?
How many different kinds of food do chimpanzees eat?
How much of the human genome is identical to the chimpanzee genome?
How tall and heavy are adult chimpanzees?
What sounds do chimpanzees make to communicate?
When did chimpanzees and bonobos become separate species?
Where do chimpanzees live in Africa?
Which animals do chimpanzees hunt?
Which four chimpanzee subspecies are recognized?
Which predators hunt chimpanzees?
Why are chimpanzees classified as great apes?
Why are chimpanzees endangered?
Why can encounters between different chimpanzee communities become violent?
Why do chimpanzee communities patrol territorial boundaries?
Why do chimpanzee groups use different kinds of tools?
Why do chimpanzees build nests in trees?
Why do scientists disagree about whether chimpanzees use true language?
Why is chimpanzee tool use considered a form of culture?
What is the main characteristics that define vertebrates?
How are vertebrates classified in terms of their morphology?
How do amphibians differ from reptiles in terms of reproduction?
How are mammals distinct from other animals?
Why is the platypus a mammal?

Science Mammals Primates

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External Websites

African Wildlife Foundation - Chimpanzee
Animal Diversity Web - Chimpanzee
A-Z Animals - Chimpanzee
Live Science - Chimpanzees: Intelligent, social and violent
University of Wisconsin-Madison - Wisconsin National Primate Research Center - Chimpanzee
San Diego Zoo - Animals and Plants - Chimpanzee
The Royal Society Publishing - Proceedings B - Chimpanzees communicate to coordinate a cultural practice
Better Planet Education - Chimpanzee - Overview
World Animal Rescue Network - Chimpanzee
CNN Science - Chimpanzees may consume equivalent of 1 alcoholic drink a day from fermented fruit, study finds
New England Primate Conservancy - Common Chimpanzee
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Age-Related Changes in Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Cognition: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses
The Spruce Pets - Should You Keep a Chimpanzee as a Pet?

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

chimpanzee - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
chimpanzee - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

chimpanzee

primate

Also known as: Pan troglodytes

Written by

Toshisada Nishida

Professor of Zoology, Kyoto University, Japan. Editor of The Chimpanzees of the Lakeshore: Natural History and Culture at Mahale.

Toshisada Nishida

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 29, 2026 •History

chimpanzee, (Pan troglodytes), species of ape that, along with the bonobo, is most closely related to humans. Chimpanzees inhabit tropical forests and savannas of equatorial Africa from Senegal in the west to Lake Albert and northwestern Tanzania in the east. Individuals vary considerably in size and appearance, but chimpanzees stand approximately 1–1.7 metres (3–5.5 feet) tall when erect and weigh about 32–60 kg (70–130 pounds). Males tend to be larger and more robust than females....

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