Which animals annually consume the most food relative to their own mass and which consume the least?

Arpeggionist

Caterpillars consume the most before they start building their cocoons, but after they emerge as adult insects they eat little if anything at all. A single caterpillar will consume between 10,000 and 20,000 times its own body mass. As for which animals eat the least, maybe the common hamster or the Arabian camel are good competitors. Aug 18 05, 11:28 PM

gmackematix

Caterpillars sounds like a good option, Arpy, even allowing for the little eaten in the adult stage. Hamsters, though? Surely no rodent can be one of those that eats least compared to its own mass as they are compelled to chew constantly. Aug 19 05, 7:36 PM

Arpeggionist

Many hamsters chew there cuds and thus manage to go for entireseasons without eating at all. Also, certain reptiles hibernate (snakes mostly) and conserve energy to a remarkable degree. Most crocodiles need only one large meat meal a year, making them actually less bloodthirsty than humans. Aug 20 05, 11:27 AM