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How many different kinds of food do chimpanzees eat?

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A common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) sits on a rock holding a long blade of grass in its mouth, with dense green foliage in the background. — chimpanzee The West African, or masked, chimpanzee (*Pan troglodytes verus*) is a critically endangered subspecies of chimpanzee.

Chimpanzees have a diverse, omnivorous diet that consists of more than 300 different food items.1

While their diet is primarily vegetarian—consisting largely of fruits, berries, leaves, blossoms, and seeds—they also consume a variety of animal-based foods. These include insects, bird eggs, and chicks.12

Additionally, chimpanzees are known to hunt and kill various mammals, such as monkeys, duikers, bushbucks, and wild pigs. They also occasionally consume carrion. Beyond these nutritional sources, chimpanzees have been observed using certain plants for medicinal purposes to treat diseases and manage intestinal parasites.1