Some of the most common animals that eat avocados include mice, rats, birds, and even squirrels!
The avocado is one of the most nutritious fruits in the world. It has plenty of fiber including various nutrients, such as vitamin C, E, and B6, as well as healthy fats, magnesium, and other healthy minerals.
The healthy nutritious nature of avocados makes them desirable among both humans and animals in the wild.
Avocados are toxic to some animals like cats and dogs, so some species will avoid eating this fruit altogether. These fruits are also large and have a pit inside, which means only larger (mostly) animals can eat them comfortably.
Animals that Eat Avocados
These are some animals that like to eat avocados.
1. Sloths
| Scientific Name | Bradypus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Central and South America |
The sloths are noted for their slow movement and lazy nature. They live in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, which means they have a steady supply of different fruits, including avocados.
Smaller sloths are primarily herbivorous, although large sloths are not afraid to eat larger fruits and even other animals. They like to search for avocados, which give them plenty of strength and power as they need to hang around the trees in their habitats. Yes, they’re slow-moving, but they still need the energy they get from avocados!
The ground sloth, which is the ancestor of today’s sloth species, was also an avid eater of avocados. Sadly, this animal is considered extinct today, but the avocado-eating preference has stayed.
Related Article: 10 Sloth Adaptations
2. Hippopotamuses
| Scientific Name | Hippopotamus amphibius |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa |
The hippo is a large mammal that lives near rivers in tropical habitats. The Greeks used to call this animal a “river horse” – probably because they had no other name for the animal since it reminded them of horses.
Hippos, despite their large and scary teeth, are herbivores. Adult hippos eat primarily grass, as they might eat several kilograms of grass per day. But they will also happily indulge in eating various fruits such as avocados if they get the chance to. These animals are large enough to eat even the pits inside the avocados.
Like the sloth, the hippo also had an ancestor that liked avocados – the terrestrial hippopotamus, which was also called the Toxodon. It’s an extinct species.
Related Article: Do Hippo Kiss?
3. Armadillos
| Scientific Name | Cingulata |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Carnivore |
The armadillo is known for its tough shell which is its primary defense mechanism against its predators. This animal lives in densely-populated areas with a lot of potential predators, so it needs to protect itself to survive.
Most armadillos are carnivorous, or at least, prefer a diet with a lot of animals they prey on. They like to hunt insects and smaller invertebrates. The armadillo is also highly resourceful, as it will search for food in many areas of its habitat. Mainly, it likes to dig and find fruits that fall from trees, so it includes avocados.
4. Elephant
| Scientific Name | Elephantidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa and Asia |
Even the elephant has a liking for avocados. Elephants like eating fruits and vegetables, as they almost never indulge in carnivorous foods. Despite their large stature, they’re among the most peaceful animals in the world. They like to include avocados in the list of foods they eat because they make a good snack for them.
For elephants, avocados are easily accessible due to their height. The avocado tree is not exceptionally tall, but for elephants, it is just tall enough so they can reach the avocado fruits and eat them. They tend to eat avocados whole with the pits still inside the avocado.
Related Article: 15 Animals that Look Like Elephants
5. Ferrets
| Scientific Name | Mustela putorius furo |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
The ferret is often a domesticated animal, so in captivity, it is offered a variety of different foods. They have a particular liking for fruits and vegetables with a lot of nutritional value, so avocados are highly preferred by ferrets.
Many ferrets are also found in the wild. They like to climb trees and look for foods such as fruits. Since they’re good climbers, they will find avocado trees and climb them to find their preferred fruits.
6. Squirrels
| Scientific Name | Sciuridae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Australia and Antarctica |
Like ferrets, squirrels are also great climbers. They are herbivores primarily, so they like to eat various fruits and veggies they can find in the wild. They also like nuts and roots as well as other similar foods, which means that they are not very picky when it comes to what foods they eat.
There are many squirrels that live in tropical areas of the world where avocados grow. There, squirrels often find themselves prey to larger animals, so they need to be resourceful to survive. Avocados represent a good meal for them, but they avoid eating pits inside the avocados.
Related Article: Do Squirrel Eat Ticks?
7. Kites
| Scientific Name | Accipitridae |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | South America |
The black kite is a medium-sized bird that belongs to the family of Accipitridae, which is a group of flying raptors. This animal is known for its gliding and its exceptional ability to find food. They’re very opportunistic when it comes to food – they’ve even been known for hunting rodents and other birds.
When they don’t have hunting opportunities, they will happily also eat fruits in their habitat. They will also occasionally eat avocados, although this is not their primary source of food since they are predators.
8. Monkeys
| Scientific Name | Cercopithecidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Yes, even some monkeys like to eat avocados. Although this is not very common since avocados have large pits that might be too much for the monkeys, they still like to eat various kinds of fruits nonetheless, including avocados.
Related Article: What Eats Monkeys?
9. Mice and Rats
| Scientific Name | Mus musculus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
Both mice and rats are opportunistic eaters. In the wild, they like to eat almost anything they can find, including fruits like avocados. Rats that live in tropical areas will gather near avocados that fall to the ground and nibble at these fruits, which provide them with a lot of healthy nutrients.
Some people like to keep mice and rats as pets. In those cases, the pet owners will offer them various slices of fruits – avocados are highly preferred by mice and rats if they are kept as pets.
Conclusion
Avocados are not for everyone. They might be too large for some animals. These fruits also have pits, which means they’re not to be eaten. The fruit is even toxic to some animals and even humans, so they tend to be avoided.
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