These creatures can eat huge amounts of plant matter-up to 40 pounds in a single day! The mountain Gorillas feed on green plants. Here we have gathered complete information on. The extensive variety of plants in the mountain gorilla’s diet is the largest variety that has been recorded in any gorilla subspecies. Mountain gorillas rarely drink water because a large portion of their diet contains water. Therefore 86% of mountain gorillas diet consists of leaves, stems and buds of about 142 different species of plants that are found in its habitat. Your email address will not be published. Fleshy leaves, shoots, vines, grass and stems of plants make up 86% of their diet whereas 7% is made of edible roots, with flowers and fruits taking up 3% and 2% respectively. The mountain gorilla’s diet is consists of 86% plant materials such as leaves, stems, and shoots. Their diet consists of roots, leaves, stems, vines, bark, bamboo shoots, and entire small plants. You will be stunned by how the Gorilla’s breakdown large plants to feed on. Foods that were part of the staple diet consumed by mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) in BINP, Uganda (0 53 0–108S and 29 350–29 50 E) were analyzed for their EE content and fatty acid composition. The mountain gorillas are the largest and by far the strongest primates on earth. and the vegetarian gorilla is no exception. Mountain gorillas do not often drink water to supplement their diet. The adult mountain gorilla consumes about 18 Kilograms of food on a daily basis. The composition of the gorilla's diet varies by subspecies and seasonality. Like other gorillas, the mountain gorilla enjoys fresh fruit, but only a few species grow here, such as passion fruit and banana. They rarely drink water, since they get most of the water from fresh plants they consume. Gorilla food includes leaves, stems, fruits, seeds, roots, ants, and termites. They begin to become independent at the age of 3 years. The diet of Mountain Gorilla's is primarily vegetarian. Thistle (Producer) Gorilla (Primary Consumer) Leopard (Secondary Consumer) Poacher (Tertiary Consumer). Some of herbivores have large, lusterless and flat teeth. 1. Some of herbivores have large, lusterless and flat teeth. Their feeding habit therefore allows for quick replenishment to occur. Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei): This subspecies consumes parts of at least 142 plant species and onl… These types of teeth are excellent for chewing and breaking down of hard plant materials. Mountain gorillas mainly eat vegetables sticking to stems, leaves, bamboo shoot, fruits, pith, moth, roots, and grubs and sometimes supplement their diet with termites, ants, and insects. Mountain Gorillas, as well as their counterparts the Western Low Land Gorilla families, feed on a variety of plant matter over 200 different plants that make up the bulk of what Mountain Gorilla feed or diet … They eat both bamboo leaves and bamboo shoots. i.e. Diet They are primarily herbivores. This dietary behavior of th… The Mountain Gorillas are known to consume over 142 plant species, they eat leaves, shoots and stems off plants and this is about 86% of their diet. The animals depending on secondary consumers for their food are called tertiary consumers and so on to fourth, fifth etc making a chain called food chain. Adventure In The Wild safaris is a locally owned tours and travel company with several years of experience organizing safaris to Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. This research adhered to the legal requirements of the country in which the research was conducted. Mountain gorilla’s diet is high in tannins. In the thick forests of central and west Africa, troops find plentiful food for their vegetarian diet. They allow for the regrowth of the vegetation, and are constantly rotating from one place to another. Ants and termites are the invertebrates mostly eaten by Gorillas, however, they also rarely eat grubs, larvae and caterpillars. In a food chain plants are called producers as they prepare their food by themselves. Although their feeding depends on the nature of the habitat and the season of the year. Eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri): This subspecies consumes parts of at least 104 plant species. There are three countries in Africa that have got the mountain gorillas living in their…, Cost of Gorilla trekking tour in Uganda - Uganda Gorilla trek Price and Budget The…, Are you searching for the best gorilla trekking destination in Africa? At the age of 4 to 6 months, babies of mountain gorillas’ begin to take in plants parts into their. Their diet can broke down as follows :- The diet is made of 97 different species of plants Nearly 67 percent of its diet is fruit The diet comprises leaves, seeds and stems, wild celery, bamboo thistles and stinging nettle both Uganda and Rwanda…, Kampala Office: JLS Building, Najjanankumbi, Kampala, Uganda. In contrast, the mountain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes eat only 38 different plant species, mainly Galium, thistles, celery and nettles. Gorillas belong to a specialized type of herbivore called folivore. Mountain Gorillas also like to eat the leaves, little shoots and sap of bamboo. The Mountain Gorillas are afraid of water and therefore do not consume it separately however, the vegetation they it is highly succulent and therefore provides the water they need to survive. These types of teeth are excellent for chewing and breaking down of hard plant materials. Rest of their diet consists of: Mountain gorillas are mostly herbivorous, which means the majority of their diet consists of plants. They favor celery, thistles, wood, and roots, and they rarely need to drink because they consume succulent vegetation which is full of water as well as morning dew. These are the same ingredients/compounds that make our coffee and tea bitter. This subspecies does not feed on bananas, it only destroys banana plants to feed on the pith. Staple Diet Determination Among vegetarian stuff, fruits are the favorite food of gorillas and it make about 67% part of their diet if available in abundance. While carnivorous have sharp and narrow teeth. The mountain gorillas live in high altitude mountain areas where fruit trees are less in numbers. As a result, their diet is high in tannins. These great apes can eat as much as 18 kg (40 lb) of vegetation each day. Because of the cold conditions they live in, they have plenty to eat but with a notable lack of variety like their lowland cousins. Eastern lowland gorillas are found in the forests of Central and East Africa and usually inhabit areas of diverse altitudes ranging from lowland forests to mountainous rainforests. The world’s smallest population of mountain gorillas—a subspecies of the eastern gorilla—is split in two and scientists have debated whether they may be two separate subspecies. This species will eat basically any part of a plant. Check out this rare Highland Gorilla footage. Our Packages include activities such as: Gorilla Trekking, Mountain Hiking, Game drives, Cultural encounters, Birding safaris, Boat safaris, nature trails and walks, adventure sports and so much more! Here we have gathered complete information on What Do Mountain Gorillas Eat and listed down the plants that form part of the Mountain Gorillas Diet. 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