Book 17, Question 68
Why Do Some Rainforest Animals Eat Clay?
Some rainforest animals eat clay because it gives them things their food lacks! Parrots and macaws gather at steep riverbanks called clay licks. Monkeys and other animals visit mineral licks, too.
More fun facts
- In southeastern Peru, parrots gather at a cliff above the Tambopata River to eat clay.
- Hundreds of parrots from up to 18 kinds may visit this clay lick at once.
- Scientists watched parrots there for more than 20,000 hours over 13 years.
- In wet rainforests, rain quickly washes the mineral sodium out of the soil, except where it is stored in hard clay.
- Clay at Amazon clay licks can hold about 40 times more sodium than the parrots' plant foods.
- Sodium helps nerves and muscles work.
- Parrots ate the most clay during breeding season, especially when feeding new chicks.
Sources: npr.org
Questions kids ask
Does clay protect parrots from poison in their food?
Lab tests show clay can bind some toxins, but this study found parrots ate more clay when food was plentiful, so sodium seems to be the main reason.