Mountain Gorilla Diet | How do gorillas get their food
Mountain Gorilla Diet consists of mainly leaves, stems, and shoots. They also love eating fruits though very scarce in their habitats.
Unlike other great apes like chimpanzees that have a diet that includes much of fruits, mountain gorillas’ diets consist less of fruits generally because of the location of their natural habitats in high altitudes where fruit availability is limited.
The location of their habitats makes them rely on a diverse array of different plant species to meet their satisfaction and nutritious needs.
Mountain gorillas also occasionally feed on tree bucks, roots, and invertebrates like ants, termites, and bee larvae. Mountain gorillas do not eat any kind of meat.
They spend much of their day foraging and eating different vegetation to ensure that they consume enough that sustains their nutrients and energy levels.
The amount of food consumed in a day can vary depending on different factors such as age, weight, and food availability in their habitat.
On average, an adult mountain gorilla eats about 18 to 30 kilograms of vegetation in a day and this large intake is general because their diet is mainly composed of plant materials which are low in calories compared to other food sources like fruits hence requiring them to eat much of them to get enough amount of calories they need.
Mountain Gorilla Diet Composition
Leaves AND Stems;
85% of Mountain Gorilla Diet consists of leaves and stems from over 100 plant species. Some of the common plants they feed on include bamboo shoots, wild celery, nettles, thistles, and gallium.
These plants are rich in nutrients such as fibers, proteins, and vitamins that support their overall health. Gorillas are observed stripping leaves carefully from their stems to avoid taking them with other small animals like caterpillars, and harmful insects and also to avoid thorns if available on the plant.
Shoots and Pith
Bamboo shoots are among the gorilla’s favorites because they are juicy and nutritious. During their seasons, mountain gorillas will feed much on them compared to other plant materials.
Gorillas are also seen eating pith from different plant species and carefully peel off the outer hard layer to feed on the inner softer parts.
Fruits
Just like other primate species, mountain gorillas love eating fruits but because of their location, their diet is considered to contain 7% of fruits which is much less compared to the leaves, stems, and shoots.
During the fruit full season in their habitats which is always relatively shorter, mountain gorilla diet consists much of fruits and the gorillas will feed much on them compared to other food sources. Some of the common fruits that grow in their habitats include wild berries and different species of figs.
Roots and Tree bark
During food scarcity seasons, mountain gorillas feed on roots and tree barks in addition to leaves, shoots, and stems mainly for satisfaction and sustenance of their energy levels.
The tree bark and roots are rich and offer an additional set of minerals and nutrients that may not be available in some plant species they consume.
Invertebrates and soil
Although mountain gorilla diet consists of mainly plant materials, they are also seen consuming small invertebrates during their seasons like ants, termites, snails, and bee larvae.
Gorillas also occasionally ingest soil which is believed to be a source of different minerals and also helps with their digestion of the different hard plant materials they consume.
What do Baby Mountain Gorillas Eat?
Baby mountain gorilla diet typically consists of mother’s breast milk during the first few months ranging from 5 to 6 months after birth.
Their mother’s milk, just like human milk, is rich in all the necessary nutrients and antibodies that these infants need to grow and develop during their early stages.
As they grow, they start exploring and trying out different food sources in the habitats under the guidance of their moms. They mimic the feeding behaviors of the adults as they watch them feed and start feeding on smaller softer amounts of leaves, shoots, and other different food sources like fruits and insects if available.
The process of weaning in gorilla babies tends to be much longer compared to that of humans, continuing up to about 3 to 4 years old as they slowly transition from breast milk to solid foods.
How do gorillas get their food?
Mountain gorillas are skilled foragers using a combination of different foraging behaviors and instincts to collect food in their natural habitats. You will notice that their foraging techniques vary depending on the type of food they are collecting.
While foraging and feeding on leaves and trees, mountain gorillas select out the softer and tender leaves and shoots using their hands to strip the leaves off the stems.
Gorillas are selective when feeding and prefer young leaves and stems as they are more nutritious and soft hence can easily be digested.
When foraging on bamboo shoots, with the use of their hands, gorillas dig into the soils to pull them out. They will then peel off the outer layer to access the inner soft layers which are juicy.
During the fruit seasons, light gorillas like the juniors are seen climbing trees to pick them and the adult gorillas use their strength and pull down the tree branches to get fruits.
During food scarcity in their habitats, gorillas dig roots and tubers with the help of their strong hands and fingers and extract them from the ground.
Mountain gorillas also use their strong fingers to rot wood or dig the ground to get access to insects hence supplementing their plant-based diet with proteins.
Foraging Behaviors and Feeding Patterns of Mountain Gorillas
Mountain gorillas exhibit a variety of foraging behaviors and feeding patterns that are in closely tied to their natural habitats of the Virunga mountain ranges and the Bwindi impenetrable national park of Uganda.
Mountain gorillas have daily routines they follow that include foraging, feeding, resting, and socializing. They spend a significant amount of their day lasting about 8 to 10 hours foraging and feeding.
Their day starts with an intensive morning feeding session as they spend the all night resting hence waking up hungry and needing food to boost their energy levels.
They rest in the midmorning and after that rest, they may decide to move to a new location for additional foraging and feeding before they take an afternoon rest.
A final feeding takes place late in the evening before preparing for the night’s resting.
How do mountain gorillas select their feeding sites?
Mountain gorillas are typically selective about their feeding sites and often move from one to another in search of more nutritious and abundant food sources.
For example, during the bamboo seasons, gorillas will look out for those areas with an abundance of bamboo and when it is a fruit season, they will look out for rich fruit areas.
The selection of feeding sites is also influenced by the movement of different gorilla groups as they usually avoid areas that are already occupied by other fellow groups mainly to avoid potential conflicts and competition for food resources.