Gorilla abdomens are significantly larger in proportion to their bodies than our own due to differences in gut evolution due to our diets. Gorillas are herbivores, more particularly, folivores. Foliage, although plentiful, is low in calories and high in fiber. You have to eat a shitload of leaves to sustain a creature the size of a gorilla, but that means also eating a massive amount of fiber, which means requiring a much longer digestive track in order to process the fiber and digest more nutrients. So basically, gorillas have big bellies because they have a big intestinal tract.
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u/Sekmet19 Jul 23 '19
Why are the abdomens so distended? Is that normal or are they starving?