Giraffes are herbivores and have a plant-based diet. They are browsers, which means they mostly consume higher vegetation instead of grass and low vegetation. The leaves of the acacia, mimosa, and wild apricot trees are their favorite food, but they will also eat other leaves, seeds, buds, branches of trees, and occasionally grass. Giraffes can eat up to 85% of new acacia shoots, and they have evolved to be efficient eaters, which helps them eat over 75 pounds of food a day. They use their extremely dexterous and long tongue as well as the ridged roof of their mouth to help feed on a variety of leaves and shoots – all dependent on the plants defenses. Giraffes also chew on bones of other animals to get the nutrients their body lacks. This is called osteophagy, and the bones are chewed and sucked on until they get enough nutrients, then spit out.