What do Gorillas Eat
Gorillas are highly intelligent animals that live in the forests of central Africa. But what do gorillas eat? This post will answer that question and then tell you a few interesting facts about gorillas!
What do Gorillas Eat?
Gorillas are herbivores. This means that they don’t eat eat meat. Gorillas enjoy eating fruit, leaves and shoots. Gorillas are classified as folivores. This means they are herbivores that specialize in eating leaves. They sometimes eat small insects that are attached to plants and shoots although they do not do so intentionally. Long teeth help gorillas crush hard plants like bamboo. Mountain gorillas tend to eat more herbs, stems and roots. Lowland gorillas (which live mainly in swamps) mainly eat fruit.
Interesting Facts About Gorillas
- Gorillas live for between 30 and 50 years.
- Gorillas have been featured in films like King Kong and Tarzan.
- The name ‘gorilla’ is derived from the Greek word ‘gorillai’ which means ‘a tribe of hairy women’.
- Adult gorillas weigh between 140 and 200 kg (310 to 440 lb).
- Like humans, gorillas have individual fingerprints.
- Both species of gorillas are endangered. The main threats to gorillas are habitat loss and poaching for meat.
- Almost all gorillas have the same blood type (B).
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