what is a silverback?

Answer 1

A gorilla
A silverback is an adult male gorilla, typically more than 12 years of age and named for the distinctive patch of silver hair on his back. A silverback gorilla has large canines that come with maturity. Blackbacks are sexually mature males of up to 11 years of age.

Silverbacks are the strong, dominant troop leaders. Each typically leads a troop of 5 to 30 gorillas and is the center of the troop's attention, making all the decisions, mediating conflicts, determining the movements of the group, leading the others to feeding sites and taking responsibility for the safety and well-being of the troop.

Males will slowly begin to leave their original troop when they are about 11 years old, travelling alone or with a group of other males for 2–5 years before being able to attract females to form a new group and start breeding. While infant gorillas normally stay with their mother for 3–4 years, silverbacks will care for weaned young orphans, though never to the extent of carrying the little gorillas.

If challenged by a younger or even by an outsider male, a silverback will scream, beat his chest, break branches, bare his teeth, then charge forward. Sometimes a younger male in the group can take over leadership from an old male. If the leader is killed by disease, accident, fighting or poachers, the group will split up, as animals disperse to look for a new protective male. Very occasionally, a group might be taken over in its entirety by another male. There is a strong risk that the new male may kill the infants of the dead silverback.


The gorilla, the largest of the living primates, is a ground-dwelling omnivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and (under debate as of 2006) either four or five subspecies. Its DNA is 97%-98% identical to that of a human,[2] and is the next closest living relative to humans after the two chimpanzee species.



Or... an old hairy man

Answer 2

As in Gorilla? The silverback is the boss of the group and you dont want to mess with him!

Answer 3

It is a male African mountain gorilla. The hair on the male gorilla's back has a silver color, thus the name "silverback."

Answer 4

Nickelback's greatest nemesis. Um, wait.

"A silverback is an adult male gorilla, typically more than 12 years of age and named for the distinctive patch of silver hair on his back."

Answer 5

The oldest male in the family of mountain gorillas.
It is quite descriptive as it really does go grey with old age.

Added later: Having now read everyone else's answers I would like to point out to Andi that the bug is a SILVERFISH. You would perhaps find it on the bathroom floor.

Answer 6

The gorilla, the largest of the living primates, is a ground-dwelling omnivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and (under debate as of 2006) either four or five subspecies. Its DNA is 97%-98% identical to that of a human,[2] and is the next closest living relative to humans after the two chimpanzee species.

Answer 7

A Silverback is a type of Gorrila that is usually the protecter of a group of a load of female Gorrila's (a silverback is a male gorrila).

Answer 8

Gorilla

Answer 9

A Silver back is a Gorilla leading a group it belongs to.

Answer 10

It is the (usually) largest and strongest Gorilla in the family group. He is the "alpha" male and usually takes care of the females and youngster. He is so named because the hair on his back turns a silvery colour.