Elephants are the largest land animals, herbivores with specialized dietary needs that allow them to sustain their immense size. Their feeding habits are integral to their survival and play a role in shaping their surrounding environments.
What Elephants Eat
Elephants consume a diverse range of plant matter, adapting their diet to what is available in their specific habitats and across seasons. Their daily intake is substantial, reflecting their massive size and continuous need for sustenance. They eat grasses, leaves, twigs, bark, roots, fruits, and flowers. African elephants frequently browse on woody plants, while Asian elephants tend to graze on grasses. In total, elephants feed on at least 112 different plant species.
An adult elephant typically consumes between 149 and 169 kilograms (330-375 lbs) of vegetation daily, though some sources indicate up to 300 kilograms (660 lbs). They spend a significant portion of their day, often 16 to 18 hours, eating or moving towards food sources. This constant feeding is necessary to meet their daily caloric requirements, which can range from 50,000 to 70,000 calories. Tree bark is a preferred food source, providing calcium and roughage that aids their digestion.
Water is also a significant component of an elephant’s daily consumption. Elephants require a large quantity of water, typically drinking between 68.4 and 98.8 liters (18 to 26 gallons) each day, and sometimes up to 152 liters (40 gallons). Elephants often stay near water sources, visiting them in the morning and evening, and will dig for water during dry periods. To supplement their diet with essential minerals, elephants seek out and consume soil from salt licks, using their tusks to churn the ground.
Dietary Adaptations and Ecological Role
Elephants possess unique physical adaptations that enable them to process their substantial plant-based diet. Their long, prehensile trunks are highly versatile, functioning to grasp vegetation and bring food and water to their mouths. The trunk can manipulate and crush food before consumption, and elephants use suction to pick up smaller items or water, capable of holding up to 5.5 liters of water.
Their tusks, which are elongated incisor teeth, serve multiple purposes in foraging. Elephants use their tusks to strip bark from trees, dig for roots and tubers, and to access minerals from the earth. Within their mouths, elephants have large, flat molars specifically adapted for grinding tough, fibrous plant material. Elephants go through six sets of molars in their lifetime, with new teeth replacing worn ones from the back of the jaw.
Despite their massive food intake, elephants have a relatively inefficient digestive system. They are hindgut fermenters, meaning that microbial fermentation of plant matter occurs in their large intestine and cecum. However, less than half of their food intake is digested, with some studies indicating as little as 22% efficiency, depending on the forage type.
The feeding habits of elephants significantly impact their environment, earning them the designation of “ecosystem engineers.” As they move, elephants clear paths through dense vegetation, which benefits other animal species. They also disperse seeds through their dung, which is rich in nutrients and provides a suitable environment for germination. Furthermore, elephants create water holes by digging into dry riverbeds, providing water access for other animals during arid periods. By grazing and browsing, they help maintain the balance between grasses and trees, preventing landscapes from becoming overgrown and creating diverse habitats.