[katieHaylor (OP)]

Douglas asks:

Do animals get bored eating the same thing all the time? Like sheep, do they get bored eating one type of grass?

What do you think?

[alancalverd]

Depends on the animal. Pigs, dogs and chickens are very experimental within the human-dominated environment. Other apes tend to graze a variety of vegetation and the occasional small animal. But sea otters, koalas and pandas are reputed to have a very limited dietary spectrum with which they don't seem to get bored.

[Bored chemist]

But sea otters, koalas and pandas are reputed to have a very limited dietary spectrum

"Diet
Sea otters consume over 100 prey species"
from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter

[Colin2B]

But sea otters, koalas and pandas are reputed to have a very limited dietary spectrum

"Diet
Sea otters consume over 100 prey species"

Yes, but it’s all ‘seafood’ 

[alancalverd]

Makes you wonder why those who study sea otters spend so much time and money feeding them with abalone.

[Colin2B]

Makes you wonder why those who study sea otters spend so much time and money feeding them with abalone.

probably so they can make a fortune selling the shells?

[Bored chemist]

abalone

I think I can honestly say I have never wondered that.

[evan_au]

Every night, I hide some food around the house, so my dog can do some foraging.
- I think he enjoys it. My wife thought I was torturing him...
- Until one day I simply gave him a rawhide "chew stick". He just left it there, and ignored it.
- But whenever I hide a rawhide stick, he goes running around the house, tail wagging, looking for it, and devours it eagerly.

It's not just the food, it's the whole dining experience that matters...

[nudephil]

Thanks all. Many of the above points made it into the QotW podcast. https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/question-week/do-animals-get-bored-eating-same-food

[podcastlover20]

Depends on the animal. Pigs, dogs and chickens are very experimental within the human-dominated environment. Other apes tend to graze a variety of vegetation and the occasional small animal. But sea otters, koalas and pandas are reputed to have a very limited dietary spectrum with which they don't seem to get bored.

Hi! Yeah, I think the same way. And it depends on the digestion system of the animal. For example dogs can be vegetarian, cats not. They have to eat meat.

[Darel2021]

A fascinating topic, but what about crossed species of animals?

[Bored chemist]

A fascinating topic, but what about crossed species of animals?

In general, if two species of animal are closely enough related to be "crossed" they will have similar diets anyway.
On a related note.

https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-farmer-has-same-supper-every-day-for-10-years-even-christmas-day/#:~:text=A%20Welsh%20farmer%20has%20had,extends%E2%80%9D%20to%20what%20he%20eats.

[CliffordK]

My cat thinks a little mouse goes better with everything.  At times she would put a mouse right on top of her food dish (well, until I got a kitten, and now she eats them where caught). 

And, what better than a food that is like a game?

[evan_au]

The podcast talked about the koala's famous monotonous diet of eucalyptus leaves.

Just like some people get excited about drinking different varieties of champagne, it appears that koalas enjoy a variety of eucalyptus leaves too.
- I understand that some eucalyptus varieties are more toxic at different times of the year, which is another reason for having a varied diet (even if it is all eucalyptus!)

Seen at a wildlife park in Currumbin, Australia:

Koala_menu_shrunk.png (131.49 kB . 201x528 - viewed 5182 times)

[Danny056]

yeah may be