Folivore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Zoology, a folivore is an animal that specializes in eating leaves.
Examples of folivorous animals:
- Mammals: okapis, sloths, possums, koalas and various species of monkey.
- Birds: The Hoatzin of the Amazon region and the Kakapo of New Zealand
- Reptiles: Iguanas [1]
- Insects: various kinds of caterpillars, sawflies, beetles, and Orthoptera
Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose and relatively little energy. For this reason folivorous mammals tend to have long digestive tracts and slow metabolisms. Many enlist the help of symbiotic bacteria to release the nutrients in their diet.
