17 Animals That Only Eat Plants (Updated 2022+Images)

Animals that only eat plants are called herbivores.

Herbivores are animals who eat only plants. They include herbivorous mammals such as cows, goats, sheep, horses, camels, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, hippos, deer, antelopes, bison, zebras, wildebeest, and tapirs. 

Animals That Only Eat Plants:

Cow

Cows are considered the main source of milk production worldwide. But did you know they also produce other types of dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, butter, etc.? What else does a cow eat?

Cows are ruminants, meaning their digestive system consists of four compartments: rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. In addition to these four compartments, cows also have a large stomach called the forestomach.

The forestomach contains glands that secrete mucus into the rumen, which helps break down food.

Cows are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. They consume grasses, leaves, stems, roots, and bark. Their diet varies depending on where they live. For example, cows living in temperate climates tend to eat more hay than those in tropical areas.

Deer

Deer are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. They also have very sharp teeth and claws that can cause serious injuries. If you ever see a deer injured or dead, please call your local animal control agency immediately.

Deer are native to North America, where they live in forests and grasslands. They are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plant material and meat. The average adult male deer weighs between 300 and 500 pounds (136–227 kg), while females weigh less.

Deer are herbaceous animals, meaning they don’t hibernate during winter. They spend their time grazing, browsing, and feeding on leaves and twigs. Deer are nocturnal, meaning they sleep at night and are awake during the day.

Gorilla

Have you ever wondered what gorillas eat? Well, they eat leaves, fruits. 

Gorillas live in groups called troops. They spend their days playing, sleeping, grooming, and socializing. The troop leader is usually the alpha male who leads the group. He is responsible for protecting his family from predators.

Gorillas are herbivores, meaning they don’t eat meat or fish. Their diet consists mainly of plants, fruit, and vegetables.

Gorillas eat around 100 pounds of vegetation every day.

Rabbits

Rabbits are cute little furry creatures that live in the wild. They are also known to be very intelligent animals. What do they eat?

Rabbits are herbivores, meaning they only eat plant material. In addition to their natural diet, they also enjoy consuming vegetable matter such as carrots, lettuce, and celery.

Their digestive system consists of four parts: the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. The rabbit’s teeth are designed to chew food into smaller pieces before swallowing them.

Buffalo

Buffalo are known for their big appetites, but what exactly do they eat? Are they carnivores or herbivores? 

Buffalo are ruminants (a type of ungulate) that feed mainly on grasses. They also consume some  fruits, roots, leaves, bark, and other vegetation.

They are grazers, meaning they graze continuously throughout the day. Their grazing habits mean that they don’t need to drink water as often as other animals. This means that they can survive without drinking for long periods of time.

Buffalo are known for being very slow movers, but they can also be quite speedy when they want to. How does this happen?

Buffalo are large mammals, native to North America. They are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. Buffalo graze in herds, moving slowly from place to place, eating grasses and other vegetation. When they move at speed, they usually run rather than walk.

They use their tongues to pick up leaves or insects off the ground, then chew them into smaller pieces before swallowing.

Goat

Goats are known for their ability to survive in harsh conditions. They can even thrive in extreme temperatures and drought. What do goats eat?

Goats are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. Their diet consists mainly of grasses, herbs, leaves, shoots, roots, bark, flowers, fruits, seeds, fungi, insects, and other vegetation.

Goats are known for being very curious animals. They love exploring new things and they also enjoy eating grass. How does a goat eat its food?

The goats chew these plants thoroughly before swallowing them. They don’t chew their food properly because they lack teeth. Instead, they use their lips and tongue to break down plant matter into smaller pieces.

Horses

Horses are some of our favorite animals. They are beautiful, strong, intelligent, and they also happen to be very good at pulling things. What do horses eat?

Horses are herbivores. That means they eat plants. Their main food sources include grasses, hay, and other vegetation. Horses also enjoy carrots, apples, and oats. Horses eat grass, hay, and other plant material. They also consume some grains and vegetables. 

Horses eat a variety of foods, depending on where they live. In the wild, they eat whatever vegetation grows nearby. If they don’t get enough to eat, they graze on grasses or browse shrubs.

They eat plants and their digestive system is designed to break down cellulose, a type of fiber found in plants.

Tortoise

Tortoises are reptiles that live in warm climates. They are slow moving animals that spend much of their time buried underground. Tortoises eat a variety of foods, from leaves to roots. 

They belong to the order Testudines (turtle) and family Testudinidae. The word tortoise comes from the Latin word tortus meaning twisted or curved. Tortoises are herbivores, they eat plants and fruits.  Their food consists mainly of leaves, fruit, seeds, flowers, roots, bulbs, bark, shoots and stems.

The African spurred tortoise (Testudo graeca) is one of the largest species of tortoise. This tortoise has a shell diameter of up to 40 cm. Its lifespan is around 50 years.

A tortoise eats using its tongue. It uses its tongue to catch and swallow food. The food passes through the digestive tract and is then stored in the gizzard.

Elephant

Elephants are known for their size and strength, but they also have some very interesting habits. What do elephants eat?

Elephants are herbivores and feed primarily on grasses, leaves, fruit, and bark. They consume around 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of vegetation every day. Their digestive system consists of four compartments: stomach, large intestine, small intestine, and rectum.

They prefer to graze at night because they don’t want to expose themselves during daylight hours. Elephants spend the majority of their time sleeping, and only wake up once or twice a week to eat.

Elephants eat a variety of foods, from grasses to fruits and vegetables. Elephants eat grasses, leaves, roots, bark, fruit, flowers, seeds, and shoots. 

Read More : Animals With Live In Forest!

Panda

Panda diet consists mainly of bamboo shoots and leaves. In order to digest these foods, pandas have developed special teeth that allow them to munch through tough fibrous materials. These teeth are called carnassial teeth because they resemble those of carnivores.

Pandas feed their young using their teeth. This means that they don’t have to swallow their food whole. Instead, they can break off pieces of food and then simply swallow them.

Panda bears are known for their big appetites. They consume up to 40 percent of their body weight each day. 

What do they eat? Pandas are herbivores and feed primarily on bamboo. Their diet consists mainly of leaves, stems, shoots, flowers, fruits, seeds and roots.

Common Iguana

Iguanas are known for their ability to consume large amounts of food. They are some of the largest lizards in the world, weighing up to 20 kg (44 lbs). Iguanas are native to Central America and South America. 

What exactly do they eat?

They are herbivores that feed primarily on plants. Their diet consists mainly of fruits, leaves, flowers, seeds, roots, bulbs, bark, shoots, and corms. Also they eat  grasses, herbs, shrubs, and trees.

The average adult iguana eats around 0.5 kg of food per day.

Iguana eat their food using their tongue. When they want to eat something, they open their mouths wide and stick out their tongues. Then, they lick the food off their tongue.

Rhinoceros

Rhinoceroses are large mammals native to Africa and Asia. They are known for their thick skin, long horns, and huge appetites. How do they manage to eat so much without getting fat?

Rhinos are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. Their diet consists mainly of grasses, leaves, twigs, bark, and roots. The largest species, the African Black Rhino, has a body mass of over 2,000 pounds (900 kg).

Rhinos are able to consume enormous amounts of food because they have a unique digestive system. Their stomachs are divided into two compartments, each containing a different type of digestion. This allows them to break down tough plant material efficiently.

Rhinos are huge animals with big horns. They live in Africa, Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe. These animals are known for their size and strength. Rhinoceros are herbivores. Their diet consists mainly of grasses, leaves, twigs, fruits, roots, seeds, flowers, bark, and even insects. Rhinos also drink water from rivers, lakes, ponds, or other bodies of water.

Elk

Elks are large mammals found throughout North America. They are known for their antlers, which they shed every year. What do elk eat? Elks are herbivores and feed mainly on grasses, leaves, twigs, bark, herbs, shrubs, and roots. Their diet consists mostly of plants.

Elk are known for being very selective when it comes to choosing their meals. They spend hours searching for the perfect spot to feed. 

Their diet consists mainly of grasses, leaves, twigs, bark, and buds.  Elk are highly intelligent animals. They can recognize individual faces and remember them for years. They also have excellent memories and can distinguish between sounds, smells, and textures.

Zebra

Zebras are known for their stripes, but did you know they also love carrots? In fact, zebras are herbivores and they feed on grasses and other plants. They don’t eat meat or fish.

Zebra are native to Africa and Asia. They are found in parts of Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa.

Zebras are herbivorous animals. They eat grasses and herbs. They are grazers. Zebras are browsers. They browse through vegetation. They graze on grasses and herbs.

Zebras are herbivores, meaning they only eat plants. Their digestive system is very efficient at breaking down plant matter into usable nutrients. This means they can survive without eating meat.

They eat a variety of foods, including grasses, herbs, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. The main thing to remember is that they eat what they can digest.

Bees

Bees are amazing creatures. They pollinate plants, produce honey, and even create wax. But they also have some interesting habits. How do they feed themselves?

Bees don’t have teeth or jaws, so they rely on their mouthparts to break down food. The proboscis (the part of the bee’s body that looks like a long tongue) contains two types of cells that allow them to secrete enzymes that break down the plant material into smaller particles.

They then swallow these pieces using muscles in their abdomen. This process is called peristalsis.

Read More : Animals With Feathers !

Manatee

Manatees are large marine mammals found throughout Florida and parts of the Caribbean Sea. They are known for their slow swimming speed and gentle nature.

Manatees are herbivores and feed mainly on sea grasses, algae, and aquatic plants. The average adult manatee weighs between 3,500 and 4,000 pounds (1,600 – 2,000 kg) and measures up to 12 feet long (3.6 m).

Manatees are known to be slow swimmers, but they can swim at speeds up to 3 mph (5 km/h). They can even dive down to depths of 50 feet (15 meters) or more to catch their prey.

Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are tiny creatures that live in tropical regions around the globe. They have long tongues that they use to feed on nectar from flowers. How do these birds manage to get such large amounts of liquid into their mouths?

Hummingbirds have a unique feeding mechanism called the ‘pumping action’. This allows them to extract water from the nectar and then transport it back to their throats. In order to do this, the bird has to flap its wings rapidly, creating a vacuum effect.

Hummingbirds eat nectar from flowers, but they don’t eat much other than pollen. They also feed their young with regurgitated food. This means that they only eat once every day, and they only consume a very small amount of food.

A hummingbird diet is a diet that consists of foods that contain little calories and high amounts of protein and fat. These foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, beans, grains, bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes.