Eli5: How are elephants able to consume enough calories when all they eat is leaves and vegetables and those have very few calories?

Question

Eli5: How are elephants able to consume enough calories when all they eat is leaves and vegetables and those have very few calories?

In: 60

Answer 1

You could probably live on the energy from leaves too if you spend 18 hours a day eating (assuming your stomach could handle the volume and actually digest leaves and twigs)