Animals that eat bananas include bats, birds, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, and rabbits.
Bananas. One of the first things you probably think about is monkeys eating bananas. These delicious fruits are available in tropical habitats. But did you know that there are many other animals besides monkeys that like to eat bananas?
Below, you will see that the banana is a widely enjoyed fruit by many different animals. It’s sweet and healthy, and it also provides animals with a good source of healthy food. It’s one of the most commonly eaten foods both by humans and by animals.
What Eats Bananas?
These are the animals that eat bananas.
1. Humans
| Scientific Name | Homo sapiens |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
Of course, where better to start this list than with humans? After all, humans eat about 100 billion bananas per year around the world, making it one of the most popular foods on the planet.
The reason why it’s popular is that it’s sweet and tasty. It’s also a healthy snack that fits so well as a solitary food or in combination with other foods. You’ll also find bananas in many recipes. Humans are currently the main consumers of bananas around the world – luckily, the majority come from banana plants.
2. Elephants
| Scientific Name | Elephantidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa and Asia |
Elephants are gentle and peaceful creatures. They are herbivores, meaning that their diet consists mainly of vegetation and fruits. Elephants that live in more tropical habitats especially like to eat bananas – either as a snack or as a main source of food when there are no other foods.
Elephants pick bananas with their trunks and then eat them whole. They can also eat the peel of bananas since they have a strong digestive system. An elephant might eat an entire pack of bananas at once when it is very hungry!
Related Article: 15 Animals that Look Like Elephants
3. Bats
| Scientific Name | Nycticeius humeralis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | southwestern United States |
Bats are insectivores, as they primarily eat insects. They have exceptional hunting skills with echolocation, which gives them a clear advantage over other flying animals. They can tell the position of another animal in a flash, which makes it tough for the insects to hide from them as they hunt.
But on occasion, even bats might enjoy fruits or vegetables. They like to eat bananas as they nibble at the bananas. They enjoy the juice of bananas to be more specific. Bats will sometimes eat bananas as a snack.
4. Birds
| Scientific Name | Sialia sialis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | eastern North America and south as far as Nicaragua |
Even some birds like to eat bananas. Some of the best examples of birds that eat bananas include robins, starlings, moorhen, whitethroats, sparrows, and several others. They will be happy to eat bananas if they get the chance to.
In the wild, many of these birds don’t get the chance to eat bananas. Some of the birds that live in tropical habitats might have access to the fruit, but others might only encounter bananas through humans.
5. Chipmunks
| Scientific Name | Tamias |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The chipmunk is a small animal that many people keep as pets. They have an extremely healthy diet which primarily consists of fruits as well as vegetables. They like to eat fruits such as apples, pears, bananas, and other types of fruits.
People who own chipmunks as their pets also need to offer them a varied diet. They will primarily eat grains and cereals – this should be up to 50% of their diet. In the wild, chipmunks will eat almost any type of grain they get access to. Fruits are meant to keep their diet more varied and interesting, so many owners add bananas, too.
6. Squirrels
| Scientific Name | Sciuridae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Australia and Antarctica |
Like chipmunks, squirrels also like to eat grains. They have a strong liking for nuts and roots as well as other similar types of foods. Squirrels like to collect foods and bring them back to their den where they will amass a large collection for tougher times – nuts, in particular, will be popular with them.
Additionally, squirrels will eat many types of fruits. If they are kept as pets, they might be offered a variety of fruits such as bananas, apples, oranges, pears, grapes, and other foods to complete their diet.
7. Raccoons
| Scientific Name | Procyon lotor |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
Most raccoons live near human settlements, but some are also kept as pets. They are not very picky when it comes to food, as they will eat almost anything that comes their way. This also includes fruits. In fact, raccoons are avid eaters of fruits such as bananas, which give them valuable nutrients.
8. Gorillas
| Scientific Name | Gorilla |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | equatorial Africa |
Many gorilla breeds around the world are today considered to be vulnerable or endangered. They’re threatened by habitat loss and predation from humans, so in many parts of the world, they are highly protected.
Gorillas are primarily herbivorous animals. They like to eat seeds, fruits, stems, bamboo, and other foods they mainly find around them. They’re also happy to eat bananas, as they will hang from branch to branch and collect bananas to eat them. Some gorillas eat peeled bananas while others peel them first.
9. Rabbits
| Scientific Name | Oryctolagus cuniculus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
Rabbits are popular pets around the world. They enjoy eating vegetables and fruits. Bananas are a huge part of their diet, but bananas are often combined with other types of fruits that rabbits will enjoy.
Read Also: Do Rabbit Eat Carrot?
10. Horses
| Scientific Name | Equus caballus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
Even horses love banana or two now and then. Of course, we’re talking about domesticated horses – those that are kept on farms. These horses need to be fed a wide variety of foods, which includes vegetables and fruits such as bananas.
Many horse owners are happy to feed their animals bananas. Some horses like to eat bananas as snacks, as these fruits keep them healthy and make them happy.
Related Article: 4 Animals Like Horses
11. Mice
| Scientific Name | Mus musculus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
The mouse is one of the smallest eaters of bananas around the world. In the wild, mice don’t usually get the chance to eat bananas, but as pets, they’re happy to eat bananas. For feeding bananas to mice, they need to be peeled and offered in slices, or else the mouse won’t be able to eat the banana.
Conclusion
There are many animals around the world that eat bananas. Humans and monkeys are among the main consumers, but you’ll also find many other animals that like bananas, too.
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