What do gorillas eat?
What do gorillas eat? Gorillas are the largest living primates in the world. These creatures possess well-developed social structure and exhibit a behavior quite similar to the human behavior. These gorillas are majorly categorized into the Eastern lowland gorillas and the western gorillas.
The western gorillas are an abundant species that inhabit mainly the forested areas of Central Africa. This category of gorillas is further sub-divided into the cross river gorillas and the western lowland gorillas.
The Eastern gorillas however inhabit the mountainous forested areas of Central African and East Africa. These Eastern gorillas are also further sub-divided into the Eastern lowland gorillas and the mountain gorillas. The mountain gorillas are particularly endemic to Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park, DRC’s Virunga national park and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park.
Gorillas are mainly vegetarian feeding on plants. Their diet consists of mainly the plant stems, bamboo shoots, fruits, and sometimes insects especially termites and ants including their larvae. They will occasionally eat soil to ease the digestion of plant nutrients. Mountain gorillas tend to become aggressive while eating therefore they feed outside the group either alone or a single partner.
How do mountain gorillas get their food?
While feeding, mountain gorillas browse through the forest leaves, stems, roots, and fruits from the plants.
Do mountain gorillas eat meat?
Despite their impressive size, gorillas are not carnivorous therefore do not eat meat but rather feed on a plant-based diet.
They however feed on small insects though this makes up just a small portion of their overall diet.
When they come across a stream or water source, they do drink water as well though given that they have to walk several miles to access this water, gorillas get most of their water from the plant stems and fruits with high water content such as figs and wild oranges.
How Much Do Gorillas Eat?
An adult gorilla can eat 18–30 kilograms (40–66 pounds) of vegetation per day. They spend a large part of their day feeding.
Mountain vs Lowland Gorilla Diet
| Gorilla Type | Main Diet |
|---|---|
| Mountain Gorillas | Mostly leaves, stems, bamboo |
| Lowland Gorillas | More fruit, plus leaves & insects |
Mountain gorillas eat very little fruit because fruit is scarce at higher altitudes.
Do Gorillas Drink Water?
Gorillas rarely drink water directly. They get most of their hydration from the plants and fruits they consume.
