What specialized dietary behavior, involving the consumption of soil or clay, is observed in Western Gorillas, and what is the proposed reason for this practice?

Answer

Geophagy, believed to provide essential minerals and salts or neutralize plant toxins

Western Gorillas engage in a behavior known as geophagy, which involves the intentional consumption of soil or clay. This practice is particularly noted among herbivores whose primary diet consists of fibrous vegetation like leaves and stems, which can sometimes be deficient in crucial nutrients. The prevailing scientific belief is that ingesting soil helps supplement the diet with essential minerals and salts that are lacking in the vegetation. Furthermore, the clay components may play a role in binding to or neutralizing certain toxins present in some of the plants they consume, providing a form of natural detoxification that aids in their digestion of tough, fibrous material.

What specialized dietary behavior, involving the consumption of soil or clay, is observed in Western Gorillas, and what is the proposed reason for this practice?

Related Questions

What are the two primary subspecies that the classification of the Western Gorilla (*Gorilla gorilla*) separates them into?What physical feature signals the full adulthood and leadership status of a mature male Western Gorilla, earning him the title of 'silverback'?What is the primary mode of locomotion utilized by Western Gorillas, which is facilitated by their arms being longer than their legs?What specialized dietary behavior, involving the consumption of soil or clay, is observed in Western Gorillas, and what is the proposed reason for this practice?What key decision-making function does the dominant silverback execute for the gorilla troop regarding movement and sustenance?What interaction between genetics and pathogens makes the Ebola virus such a devastating threat to the Western Gorilla, given their shared characteristics with humans?What demographic fact underscores the extreme conservation fragility of the Cross River Gorilla subspecies?Where do Western Gorillas construct their resting platforms, or nests, each night using gathered vegetation?What aspect of the Western Gorilla's life cycle contributes significantly to the difficulty of population recovery following mass mortality events?What specific variety of Central African environments are listed as being inhabited by the Western Gorilla population?
animalmammalPrimategorilla