Elephants vary what they eat for dinner every night – just like humans, study finds

It would get pretty boring to eat the same thing every day.

And we are not the only ones who feel that way, as elephants also vary in their daily meals.

Researchers have found that the animals consume up to 137 different types of plants and adjust their diets based on the weather and their own preferences.

A team from Brown University in the US used DNA metabarcoding to find out exactly what two elephant herds in Kenya eat.

This technique involves analyzing biological samples – such as hair or feces – and matching the extracted DNA fragments to a library of ‘barcodes’ of plant DNA.

They found that dietary differences between individuals were often much greater than previously believed — even between family members who foraged together.

Up to 137 unique plant DNA barcodes were detected in one fecal sample – revealing the true degree of variation in an individual’s diet.

Analysis also confirmed that the animals tend to eat more grass when it rained and other plants when it was dry.

The researchers said the elephants vary their diet not only based on what’s available, but also based on their preferences and physiological needs.

For example, a pregnant elephant may have different desires and needs at different times in her pregnancy.

They explained that elephants can forage together in groups because they don’t always eat the exact same plants at the same time, so there’s plenty to go around.

Author Tyler Kartzinel said: ‘We’ve never really had a clear picture of what all these charismatic large mammals actually eat in nature.

‘The reason is that these animals are difficult and dangerous to observe up close, they travel great distances, they feed at night and in dense undergrowth and many of the plants they eat are quite small.

Elephants consume up to 137 different types of plants and adjust their diet based on the weather and their own preferences

‘Wildlife populations need access to diverse food sources to thrive. Every elephant needs variety, a little spice – not literally in their food, but in their feeding habits.

“It’s very important for conservationists to keep in mind that when animals don’t get enough food that they need, they might survive, but they might not thrive.

“By better understanding what each individual eats, we can better manage iconic species such as elephants, rhinoceroses and bison to ensure their populations can grow in sustainable ways.”

The findings were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

ELEPHANTS ARE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND HIGHLY SOCIAL WITH ‘SOME HUMAN PERSONALITY TRACTS’

Research has shown that the emotional characteristics of elephants are similar to those of humans.

It turns out that the animals have different personalities.

They can be aggressive, attentive and outgoing.

For the study, scientists asked elephant riders, or mahouts, to answer questions about the behavior of the animals they worked with each day.

A new study has found that elephants, like humans, have distinct personalities. They can be aggressive, attentive and outgoing. Pictured is an elephant with its mahout, or rider, with whom the animal works every day in Myanmar’s timber industry

Dr. Martin Steltmann, who worked on the new report, explained how his team defined the traits that categorize elephants.

He said: ‘Attention is related to how an elephant acts in and perceives its environment.

Sociability describes how an elephant seeks closeness to other elephants and humans and how popular they are as social partners.

“Aggressivity shows how aggressively an elephant behaves toward other elephants and how much it interferes in their social interaction.”

Dr. Steltmann’s team is hopeful that the new research can help with elephant conservation.