Is mountain gorillas herbivorous or carnivores? Facts about gorillas
Mountain gorillas stay in tropical rain-forests of Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Virunga mountains and in Rwandan volcanoes. Today we would like to know if mountain gorillas are herbivores or carnivores, and find out What do gorillas eat?, Their eating system depends on where they stay and the time of the year.
Mountain gorillas are herbivores and mostly feed on leaves, shoots and stem (86%), roots (7%), flowers (3%), ants, bugs and snails (2%) and fruits (2%). They consume low quantity of fruits because they are scarce in the higher altitudes.
The silver backs gorillas consume 60 pounds of food each day so as to gain enough energy to lead the members. Female adults consume about 18kg per day.
The mountain gorillas use their strength to tear plants especially the adults and they are so selective, a gorilla can tear down a whole banana plant just to eat a pith, leaves or a stalk.
They do not over exploit food in one area but eats and shifts to another place to permit the previous place to grow more vegetation.
The gorillas are designed in such a way that their hair on the back side of their hands is used to store water from where they suck but they do not often take water because the vegetation’s they consume contain enough water plus the morning dew.
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