# Bonobo (*Pan paniscus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/bonobo  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The bonobo (Pan paniscus), also called the Pygmy chimpanzee or Dwarf chimpanzee, is a large primate in the family Hominidae and the order Primates. It is a diurnal, scansorial frugivore with an adult body mass of 34 kg, and up to 45 kg. The bonobo is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, an IUCN threatened category. It has 1 young per litter after a gestation period of 235.3 days, reaches sexual maturity at 9 years, and has a lifespan of 48 years, up to 55 years.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 34 kg – 45 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 48 years – 55 years |
| Diet | Frugivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest |
| Gestation | 235 days – 244 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 1 |
| Age at maturity | 9 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 0.22 |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Scansorial |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Primates
- family: Hominidae
- genus: Pan
- species: *Pan paniscus* Schwarz, 1929

Synonyms: *Pan satyrus paniscus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a bonobo?

The bonobo is a mammal, a primate in the family Hominidae and the genus Pan.

### How heavy is a bonobo?

An adult bonobo has a body mass of 34 kg, and up to 45 kg.

### What does a bonobo eat?

The bonobo is a frugivore, and its trophic level is herbivore.

### Is the bonobo endangered?

Yes. The bonobo is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, an IUCN threatened category.

### How long does a bonobo live?

The bonobo has a lifespan of 48 years, and up to 55 years.

### How many young does a bonobo have?

A bonobo has 1 young per litter, with 0.22 litters per year, after a gestation period of 235.3 days.

### When does a bonobo reach sexual maturity?

A bonobo reaches sexual maturity at 3,287 days, or 9 years.

### Who named the bonobo?

The bonobo, Pan paniscus, was named by Schwarz, 1929.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Bonobo (Pan paniscus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/bonobo