Animal Diet and Nutrition

Animal diet and nutrition encompasses the diverse feeding strategies, nutrient requirements and physiological adaptations that underpin health, growth and reproduction across taxa. From obligate carnivores to herbivorous ungulates and omnivorous scavengers, diets must supply macronutrients—proteins, lipids and carbohydrates—and a spectrum of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Nutritional ecology examines how food availability, habitat structure and life-history stage influence foraging behaviour, digestive morphology and microbial symbioses. In livestock and aquaculture, diet formulation balances productivity, animal welfare and environmental footprints. In companion animals, precise nutrient profiles support longevity and disease prevention, while assessment of pet food life-cycle impacts is shaping sustainable choices. Wild species illustrate evolutionary specialisations—such as sodium-seeking behaviours at mineral licks or seasonal shifts in macronutrient preference—that inform conservation and habitat management. Integrating biochemistry, physiology and ecology, current research seeks to optimise feed efficiency, reduce waste and address global challenges of food security and biodiversity loss.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A recent assessment of commercial pet diets quantified greenhouse-gas emissions, land use, eutrophication and water stress for dry, wet and homemade dog and cat foods. Dry formulations dominated by plant-based ingredients showed lower carbon and acidifying emissions per unit metabolizable energy, whereas wet diets had the highest environmental burdens. This work provides a framework for veterinarians and owners to weigh nutritional adequacy against ecological costs.

In a telemetry study of a threatened nocturnal bird, GPS tags revealed nightly foraging commutes between irrigated croplands and arid day-roost sites. Despite minimal insect prey in the roost habitat, the bird’s home range encompassed dry refugia for predator avoidance, highlighting the conservation importance of seemingly barren habitats and the coupling of diet with landscape heterogeneity.

Animal Diet and Nutrition publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in animal diet and nutrition across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Life cycle assessment (LCA): A methodology to quantify environmental impacts from raw material extraction through disposal for products, including greenhouse-gas emissions and resource use.

Allometric scaling: The relationship between physiological or ecological traits (e.g., nutrient requirements) and organism body size, often expressed as a power-law function.

Metabolizable energy (ME): The portion of dietary energy available for maintenance and production after losses in feces, urine and gases.

Feed conversion ratio (FCR): The mass of feed required to achieve a unit of body-weight gain in cultured animals.

Geophagy: The deliberate ingestion of soil or mineral substrates by animals to supplement dietary minerals or detoxify plant compounds.

References

1. Environmental impact of diets for dogs and cats. Scientific Reports (2022).
2. A telemetry study shows that an endangered nocturnal avian species roosts in extremely dry habitats to avoid predation. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Allometry of sodium requirements and mineral lick use among herbivorous mammals. Oikos (2023).
4. Exploring the Nutritional Potential of Spent Coffee Grounds as a Substitute for Rice Bran in Feeds for Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus: An Evaluation of Growth Performance and Biological Indices. Aquaculture Nutrition (2024).