# how strong is a gorilla **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2013, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168 "2013-03-28T11:21:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/21 "2013-03-28T17:16:32Z")
Have you heard the joke, “Where does an 800-pound gorilla sleep?” “Anywhere he wants.” That’s how strong a gorilla is. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/22 "2013-03-28T17:49:02Z")
> [@SpeedwayRyan](#): > > Baby oil too? Oh, the humanity! As a continuation, but many, many people think that Lobster Sauce in Chinese restaurants is made from lobsters. For the record, I buy baby oil only from small businessmen. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/23 "2013-03-28T17:54:25Z")
> [@SpeedwayRyan](#): > > Baby oil too? Oh, the humanity! And once the oil is extracted, the rest is made into baby powder. ---
**Author:** ![Vashbul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Vashbul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vashbul)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/24 "2013-03-28T20:33:34Z")
A gorilla could stop an Atlas booster from taking off if it wanted to. The meteor that blew up over Russia was in fact a mountain thrown by a gorilla in central Africa. The force of a nuclear explosion is measured in megatons; by contrast a gorilla is so powerful they had to invent an entirely new measurement of force just for gorillas, and even on that scale a gorilla is off the chart. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/25 "2013-03-28T21:32:06Z")
> [@Vashbul](#): > > The force of a nuclear explosion is measured in megatons; by contrast a gorilla is so powerful they had to invent an entirely new measurement of force just for gorillas, and even on that scale a gorilla is off the chart. That’s right, gorilla strength is now measured on the [Scoville scale](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale). A full-grown gorilla measures in at several million Scovilles. ETA: By contrast, a full-grown alligator weighs in at a measly several-hundred Scovilles. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/26 "2013-03-28T22:21:35Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > A full-grown gorilla measures in at several million Scovilles. That’s **Scovillas** , sounds much better. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/27 "2013-03-28T22:29:43Z")
Let’s just say you don’t want to be downwind of a gorilla. Or upwind of a male gorilla in the mood. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/28 "2013-03-28T23:40:56Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > That’s **Scovillas** , sounds much better. All of which are derived from Norrises (resting values). ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/29 "2013-03-29T03:26:03Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Have you heard the joke, “Where does an 800-pound gorilla sleep?” > > “Anywhere he wants.” > > That’s how strong a gorilla is. Except if a large bear wants to sleep there, in which case _viz._ [Post 6](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16140689&postcount=6). ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/30 "2013-03-29T04:34:15Z")
We’ve got a Scovillas for sale… ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/31 "2013-03-29T05:19:59Z")
I stopped reading when the responses got too cuties for me. I saw video of a group of stupid white tourists come across a silverback, of all critters. The guide immediately told them to NOT look it in the eye - that is a challenge to male gorillas. A fellow who loooked like he might weigh 150 pounds promptly made eye contact. Range was 50’ In less than 2 seconds the gorilla had picked him up by the ankle and dragged him into the bushes - like a rag doll (just a raaagggg dolll, such a pretty…). The guide followed and made bluffing noises and flapped his jacket and got the twit back. Lesson - if you want to make eye contact, be behind LOTS of steel. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/32 "2013-03-29T05:23:05Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#): > > Now, if you could train a gorilla to use a spear, that would be a different, awesome, story. Ah, yes, I’ve heard of the fondness of revolutionaries for gorilla warfare. ---
**Author:** ![JLRogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@JLRogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLRogers)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/33 "2013-03-29T05:32:31Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > I stopped reading when the responses got too cuties for me. Thanks for letting us know. We’ll try to be less “cuties” in the future to avoid offending your sensibilities. :rolleyes: > [@usedtobe](#): > > I saw video of a group of stupid white tourists Care to clarify what the color of their skin had to do with anything? ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/34 "2013-03-29T05:33:35Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > In less than 2 seconds the gorilla had picked him up by the ankle and dragged him into the bushes - like a rag doll (just a raaagggg dolll, such a pretty..). He had a purdy mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/35 "2013-03-29T06:10:20Z")
Post/username alert for previous post. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168/36 "2013-03-29T06:22:54Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Post/username alert for previous post. Awww… C’mon **Leo Bloom** , he’s just _ **TOO** _ easy to have fun with! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-a-gorilla/654168.md?page=1)