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A blackback and a silverback are not different kinds of gorilla but two life stages of a male. A blackback is a young male of roughly 8–12 years, larger than the females but with a fully black back; a silverback is a mature male, usually from about 12–15 years, with a saddle of silver-grey hair across his back, a much bigger body, a heavy head with a tall crest and long canine teeth.
In a family, the dominant silverback leads and protects the group, while blackbacks act as helpers and lookouts and may eventually leave to form their own families.
How to tell them apart
The silver saddle is the clearest sign: silver-grey hair from the shoulders to the hips, which never fades once it develops. A silverback is also far bulkier, with an adult male weighing roughly 140–200 kg, about twice a female, and has a large, cone-shaped head caused by the bony crest that anchors his jaw muscles.
Blackbacks are leaner and smaller, closer to adult females in size, with a rounder head and a black coat. Behaviour helps too: the silverback is usually at the centre of the group, calm and watched by the others, while blackbacks are more often at the edges. See our guide to how much a silverback weighs.
The blackback years
Young males go through a long adolescence. As blackbacks, they help keep watch, may join displays when the group is threatened and practise the chest-beats and charges of adult males. Many leave their birth group in their teens and live alone or with other males for a time, while some stay and eventually rise in their family’s hierarchy. In mountain gorillas, quite a few groups have more than one silverback, with a dominant male and one or more subordinates.
The silverback’s role
The dominant silverback decides when the family moves and rests, protects it from rival males and other dangers, settles disputes and fathers most of the infants. Females often stay close to him, and young gorillas play near him. When he dies or loses his position, the group may split, join another male or be taken over, sometimes with infanticide. See our guides to gorilla social behaviour and gorilla lifespan.
Seeing them on a trek
On a gorilla trek in Bwindi or Mgahinga, your ranger will point out the silverback and often name the family’s other males. Stay at least 7 m away and give the silverback particular respect: if he charges, crouch, look down and do not run. See our guide to what to do if a gorilla charges. A permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November.
Frequently asked questions
A blackback is a young male of about 8–12 years; a silverback is a mature male with a silver saddle, usually from about 12–15 years.
All males that reach maturity develop the silver saddle, but not all lead a family.
Yes. Many mountain gorilla groups have a dominant silverback and one or more subordinate ones.
Like silverbacks, they may display if disturbed. Follow the ranger’s instructions and keep your distance.
