Characteristics Of Herbivores, Carnivores And Omnivores
Different animals have different feeding habits. Based on their feeding habits, animals can be divided into three groups: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
Herbivores
Herbivorous animals or herbivores (herbi, plant; vore, eater) are those that eat only plants and plant products. Cow, deer, horse, giraffe, squirrel, and butterfly are examples of herbivores.
Special Characteristics of Herbivores
- Herbivores like cow, horse, and goat have wide, blunt teeth. Such teeth are suitable for pulling plants off the ground and grinding them.
- Herbivores like cow and camel have the ability to bring back previously swallowed food to the mouth for chewing it the second time. This helps them to absorb most of the nutrients from hard-to-digest food like grass.
- Squirrels have a pair of broad, sharp-edged front teeth (incisors) in each jaw They use these teeth to gnaw food items like nuts.
- Herbivores like butterfly and hummingbird do not need to worry about chewing their food. They have mouth-parts shaped like a straw to suck nectar from flowers.
Carnivores
Carnivorous animals or carnivores (carni, meat; vore, eater) are those that only eat the flesh of other animals. Lion, tiger, jackal, vulture, owl, eagle, snake, and spider are examples of carnivores.
Special Characteristics of Carnivores
- Carnivores like lion and tiger have sharp and pointed front teeth (canines). They also have sharp claws and powerful jaws which help them to tear flesh.
- Carnivorous birds like eagle have curved, pointed beaks that allow them to tear flesh.
- Carnivores like chameleon and frog have a long, sticky tongue that they use to catch insects.
- Carnivorous fish like shark have several small, sharp teeth that help them bite off chunks of flesh.
Omnivores
Omnivorous animals or omnivores (omni, all; vore, eater) are those that eat both plants and flesh of other animals. Bear, raccoon, crow, and human beings are examples of omnivores.
Special Characteristics of Omnivores
- Omnivores like bear and human beings have different types of teeth that help them to eat both plants and flesh of other animals.
- Omnivorous birds like crow have sharp and pointed beak to help them eat a
variety of food.
Scavengers and Decomposers
Instead of hunting live animals, some birds and animals eat the flesh of other animals that are already dead. Vulture is one such bird. These animals or birds are called scavengers. Some other organisms feed on and destroy (or decompose) dead plants and animals. Fungi and bacteria are examples of such organisms. These organisms are called decomposers. Together with scavengers, decomposers play a very important role in nature. Without these organisms, our planet would be covered with dead plants and animals.