What do mountain gorillas eat? Mountain gorillas mainly eat plants. Their diet includes stems, leaves, bamboo shoots, fruits, pith, roots, moths, and grubs.
Sometimes, they also eat ants, termites, and other insects. They can break termite nests to eat the larvae inside.
Fruits make up about 25% of a mountain gorilla’s diet. To find food, gorillas may move across 3 to 6 square kilometers each day.
Mountain gorillas eat more tough, fibrous plants than many other primates. They usually eat what is available rather than choosing specific foods.
They prefer foods that have more sugar and protein, and less fiber. They also like plants with certain tannin levels.
Sometimes, gorillas eat ash and soil. This helps them with digestion and may provide minerals their bodies need.
An adult male gorilla can eat up to 30 kilograms of plants each day. An adult female eats about 18 kilograms daily.
Mountain gorillas feed on around 250 different plant species.
They do not often drink water because the plants they eat contain a lot of moisture.
Mountain gorillas have 32 teeth, just like humans. These teeth help them chew tough plants. As male gorillas grow older, they develop large canine teeth, which they use for fighting.
You can book a gorilla trekking safari in Africa to see mountain gorillas in their natural home.
