Gorillas, the largest living primates, have captivated human interest for centuries. Their impressive size and strength often lead to questions about their dietary habits. Many people wonder if these powerful apes, like some other primates, consume meat. Exploring what gorillas primarily eat helps to clarify common misunderstandings about their diet.
What Gorillas Primarily Eat
Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, relying on plant matter for nutrition. Their diet includes a wide variety of plant parts: leaves, stems, shoots, pith, bark, and roots. Mountain gorillas, for instance, primarily consume green plant parts and can eat over 140 different plant species. Leaves, shoots, and stems constitute around 86% of a mountain gorilla’s diet.
The specific composition of a gorilla’s diet can vary depending on the species, their habitat, and the season. Western lowland gorillas, found in dense lowland forests, tend to incorporate more fruit into their diet when available, sometimes as much as 67%. In contrast, mountain gorillas, living at higher altitudes where fruit is scarcer, consume very little fruit, often only 2-3% of their diet. Despite these variations, gorillas spend a substantial part of their day foraging and eating to meet the high caloric demands of their large bodies.
Are Gorillas Carnivores?
Despite their imposing appearance and powerful build, gorillas are not carnivores. Their strength and large canine teeth, especially in males, are primarily used for display, defense, or breaking apart tough vegetation, such as shredding a banana tree to reach the tender pith. There are no verified reports of wild gorillas intentionally hunting or consuming large amounts of meat.
While gorillas are classified as herbivores, they may incidentally ingest small amounts of animal matter. This involves consuming insects like termites, ants, caterpillars, or grubs present on the plants they eat. For example, insects might make up a small percentage, around 2-3%, of the diet for some gorilla subspecies. This occasional consumption of invertebrates provides a minor protein source but does not classify them as omnivores, unlike chimpanzees who actively hunt and consume meat.
The Digestive Adaptations of Gorillas
The gorilla’s physiological makeup is specifically adapted for a plant-based diet. Their dentition includes large molars with high crests, which are efficient at cutting and grinding tough, fibrous vegetation. While their canine teeth are prominent, they are used more for social display and tearing plant material rather than for predation.
To process the large quantities of low-nutrient, high-fiber plant material, gorillas possess a specialized digestive system. They have a large, elongated gastrointestinal tract, including an expanded cecum and colon, which allows for prolonged fermentation of plant matter. This extended digestive process, aided by a diverse community of gut microbes, enables them to break down cellulose and extract sufficient nutrients from plants. This differs significantly from carnivores or typical omnivores, which have shorter digestive tracts suited for more easily digestible animal protein.