List of Forest Herbivores

African forest elephant

Large tropical rainforest browser and frugivore that eats leaves, fruit and bark in lowland rainforests; creates gaps, disperses seeds, and shapes vegetation structure across the Congo Basin.

Asian elephant

Massive forest and mosaic-habitat herbivore that feeds on grasses, leaves, bark and fruit in tropical and montane forests; important seed disperser and ecosystem engineer that opens trails and maintains forest edges.

Giant panda

Bamboo specialist of temperate montane bamboo forests; eats primarily bamboo shoots and leaves and influences bamboo stand dynamics while serving as an iconic conservation flagship for forest protection.

Red panda

Small arboreal herbivore that feeds mainly on bamboo, fruits and leaves in montane temperate forests; a seed predator and occasional disperser that links understory plants and canopy through browsing.

Mountain tapir

Shy browser of montane cloud and high-elevation forests that eats leaves, fruit and stems; aids seed dispersal and understory regeneration while modifying vegetation by trampling and foraging.

Malayan tapir

Large forest browser of lowland and swamp rainforests that consumes leaves, fruit and shoots; a key seed disperser that shapes plant community composition in Southeast Asian forests.

Baird’s tapir

Forest-dwelling browser of tropical wet forests that eats fruit and foliage; moves seeds across landscapes and helps regenerate understory vegetation in rainforests and cloud forests.

Okapi

Secretive rainforest browser that feeds on leaves, buds and fruit in dense Central African forests; selectively browses and disperses seeds, influencing understory plant diversity.

Western lowland gorilla

Primarily folivorous and frugivorous great ape that browses leaves, stems and fruit in lowland tropical forests; shapes plant communities via selective feeding and long-distance seed dispersal.

Mountain gorilla

Herbivorous great ape that consumes leaves, shoots and stems in montane and bamboo forests; creates clearings, recycles nutrients, and disperses seeds while heavily browsing vegetation.

Bornean orangutan

Arboreal frugivore and folivore of tropical rainforests that eats fruit, leaves and bark; a major seed disperser and gardener of the forest, creating tree-fall gaps and promoting regeneration.

Sumatran orangutan

Tree-dwelling frugivore/folivore living in tropical lowland and peat swamp forests; spreads seeds of many canopy trees and influences forest structure through foraging and nest-building.

Proboscis monkey

Specialized leaf and unripe fruit eater in mangrove and riverine forests; digests leaves efficiently, shaping foliage composition and linking river channels to forest nutrient cycles.

Colobus monkey (Mantled colobus)

Leaf-specialist primate that feeds on mature leaves and some fruit in canopy forests; its folivory helps regulate tree growth and contributes to nutrient cycling in African woodlands.

Howler monkey (Mantled howler)

Loud canopy folivore that eats leaves, fruit and flowers in tropical forests; long-distance seed disperser whose browsing influences forest regeneration and tree species composition.

Spider monkey (Geoffroy’s spider monkey)

Highly frugivorous canopy primate that eats fruit and some leaves in tropical forests; exceptional seed disperser for large-seeded trees, maintaining plant diversity.

Indri

Large lemur that feeds primarily on leaves and some fruit in humid forests; a folivore that shapes canopy foliage and participates in seed distribution across Madagascar’s forest fragments.

Greater bamboo lemur

Specialist feeder on bamboo shoots, leaves and pith in montane and humid forest stands; influences bamboo dynamics and serves as a focal species for Madagascar forest conservation.

Red deer

Large temperate forest browser and grazer that eats leaves, grasses and shoots; alters understory vegetation through browsing and supports predators and scavengers via biomass transfer.

Moose

Massive browser that feeds on twigs, leaves and aquatic plants in boreal and mixed forests; shapes riparian vegetation, opens waterways, and influences tree recruitment by heavy browsing.

White-tailed deer

Common forest browser that feeds on leaves, twigs and forbs across deciduous and mixed forests; affects understory composition, plant regeneration and predator-prey dynamics in many ecosystems.

Elk (Wapiti)

Large mixed feeder of grasses and browse in montane and forested habitats; influences forest-edge dynamics, nutrient cycling, and provides prey biomass for large carnivores.

Roe deer

Small forest browser that eats shoots, leaves and herbs; impacts understory plant community and serves as common prey for forest predators while shaping vegetation structure.

Sika deer

Forest-dwelling browser and grazer that eats leaves, grasses and fruits; alters understory composition and competes with native herbivores in both native and introduced ranges.

Muntjac (Indian muntjac)

Small solitary browser of tropical and subtropical forests that eats leaves, shoots and fallen fruit; influences seed fate and understory structure through selective browsing.

Sambar deer

Large woodland browser in tropical and subtropical forests that consumes foliage, fruits and grasses; modifies understory vegetation and supports predators such as tigers.

Caribou / Reindeer

Herbivorous ungulate feeding on lichens, grasses and shrubs in boreal forests and tundra; key grazer influencing ground-layer plant communities and nutrient flows.

Musk deer (Siberian musk deer)

Small browsing deer of montane and coniferous forests that eats leaves, shoots and lichens; influences young-tree survival and understory composition while providing prey for predators.

Gaur

Large forest-dwelling bovine that grazes and browses in tropical forests and foothills; impacts forest regeneration via heavy browsing and creates habitat heterogeneity through trampling.

Banteng

Forest-edge grazer and browser in lowland and seasonal forests that feeds on grasses and shoots; shapes understory structure and is an important prey and ecological component in Asian forests.

African forest buffalo

Smaller rainforest-adapted buffalo that grazes and browses in dense forests; forms herds that influence undergrowth, seedling survival, and nutrient redistribution.

Okapi (duplicate avoided)

Secretive rainforest browser that feeds on leaves, buds and fruit in dense Central African forests; selectively browses and disperses seeds, influencing understory plant diversity.

Bongo

Large reddish forest antelope that browses leaves, shoots and fruits in dense rainforest; important seed disperser and helps maintain understory dynamics in African forests.

Blue duiker

Tiny forest antelope that nibbles fruit, leaves and fungi on the forest floor; plays a role in seed predation and dispersal and is prey for small forest carnivores.

Paca

Nocturnal rodent that eats fruit, seeds and tubers in tropical forests; an important seed predator and disperser that influences regeneration and plant community dynamics.

Agouti

Diurnal frugivorous rodent that caches seeds and fruits in forest soils; key scatter-hoarder promoting seed dispersal and germination for many tropical trees.

North American porcupine

Primarily herbivorous rodent that eats bark, buds and leaves in coniferous and mixed forests; influences tree health and creates feeding scars that alter forest structure.

Capuchin omitted due to omnivory

Giant anteater excluded due to specialization

Two-toed sloth

Slow-moving arboreal folivore that eats mostly leaves in canopy forests; influences leaf turnover and provides microhabitats while harboring diverse commensal communities.

Three-toed sloth

Arboreal leaf specialist feeding on canopy leaves and occasional fruit; contributes to nutrient cycling in trees and supports a specialized micro-ecosystem on its fur.

Hoatzin

Unique folivorous bird that ferments leaves in an enlarged crop; lives in flooded and riverine forests, consuming young leaves and playing a role in leaf-matter processing and seed dispersal.

Kakapo

Flightless nocturnal parrot that eats native plants, seeds and fruits in temperate forests; influences plant regeneration and is a conservation icon for forest restoration.

New Zealand pigeon (Kereru)

Large frugivorous pigeon that swallows and disperses whole native fruits across forest canopies; critical seed disperser for many large-seeded endemic trees.

Hyacinth macaw

Specialist of palm nuts and seeds in tropical gallery and forested wetlands; cracks tough seeds and disperses or redistributes seeds, affecting palm recruitment.

Green iguana

Large arboreal reptile that eats leaves, fruits and flowers in tropical forests; as an herbivore it influences sapling survival and seed fate in canopy and understory layers.

Giant panda (duplicate avoided)

Bamboo specialist of temperate montane bamboo forests; eats primarily bamboo shoots and leaves and influences bamboo stand dynamics while serving as a flagship for forest conservation.

Red panda (duplicate avoided)

Arboreal bamboo and fruit eater in montane forests; a small browser that affects bamboo dynamics and serves as an indicator of healthy temperate forest ecosystems.

Koala

Eucalyptus specialist that feeds on leaves in sclerophyll and temperate forests; a folivore that influences eucalypt growth patterns and is central to Australia’s forest ecology and conservation.

Greater glider

Nocturnal arboreal folivore that eats mostly eucalyptus leaves in temperate woodlands; plays a role in leaf turnover and indicates the health of old-growth forest stands.

Takin

Robust browser of alpine and montane rhododendron and bamboo forests that eats leaves and shoots; shapes scrubby forest vegetation and provides large-herbivore ecosystem functions at altitude.

Proboscis monkey (duplicate avoided)

Specialized leaf and unripe fruit eater in mangrove and riverine forests; digests leaves efficiently and links aquatic and terrestrial nutrient cycles.

Okapi (duplicate avoided)

Secretive rainforest browser that feeds on leaves, buds and fruit in dense Central African forests; selectively browses and disperses seeds, influencing understory plant diversity.

Sambar (duplicate avoided)

Large forest browser in tropical evergreen and montane forests that consumes foliage and fruits; influences understory composition and supports apex predators in Asian forests.

Axis deer (Chital)

Common forest-edge browser and grazer that eats grasses, leaves and fruit; affects understory dynamics and serves as prey for large carnivores in South Asian forests.

Silvered langur

Leaf-specialist colobine that eats young leaves and seeds in coastal and lowland forests; folivory influences tree growth and supports unique primate-forest interactions.

Bamboo lemur (greater bamboo lemur)

Highly bamboo-dependent lemur that eats bamboo shoots and leaves in montane and lowland forests; a specialist whose survival reflects bamboo habitat health.

European bison

Large forest and forest-steppe grazer and browser that feeds on grasses, shrubs and tree bark; creates open patches, disperses seeds and is a keystone herbivore in rewilding efforts.

Agouti (duplicate avoided)

Diurnal frugivorous rodent that caches seeds and fruits in forest soils; key scatter-hoarder promoting seed dispersal and germination for many tropical trees.