Animal Feeding Categories

CARNIVORES - Animals that eat other animals
The characteristics in common amongst carnivores are that these animals live on protein diets - and have an excellent sense of smell.  Each has its own physical characteristic - sharp teeth / beaks for biting, gripping and tearing flesh, and claws for grasping, stabbing and shredding.  Carnivores tend to be agile and fast with strong, powerful bodies.

• Carnivores relying solely on animal flesh for their nutrient requirements are considered obligate carnivores
• Carnivores that also consume non-animal food are considered facultative carnivores

There are different types of feeding strategies for meat eaters.  Here are some examples:

Avivore  -  ​Bird eaters ... Falcons

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Insectivore  -  ​Insect eaters ... Spiders

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Piscivore  -  ​Fish eaters ... Sea Lions 

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Sanguinovre  -  Blood suckers ...  Vampire Bats

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Scavengers   - Dead animals ... Vultures

HERBIVORES - Animals that eat plants
Herbivores are gentle creatures that eat plants.  As plants are not high in fat and protein, herbivores have to eat a great deal in order to maintain their bodies.  Animals that eat the most nutritious parts of plants - nuts, seeds and fruit) may only eat a modest amount, but animals that eat low-quality plants or parts of plants - grass , bark and leaves, have to eat a great deal to stay healthy. Herbivores spend much time foraging for their food and have to eat regularly to keep up their energy.

The feeding strategies for herbivores are:

Foliovores  -  Leaf eaters ...  Koalas 

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Frugavores   -   ​Fruit eaters ... Fruit Bats

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Granivores   -   ​Grain eaters ... Parrots and Pigeons

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Graminivore  -  ​Grain eaters ... Cattle

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Mucivores  -  ​Plant fluid consumers  ...  Aphids

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Nectavores  -  ​Nectar consumers ...  Honey Possum

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Palynivore  -  ​Pollen eaters ...  Bees 

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Xycophages  -  ​Wood eaters ... Termites

OMNIVORES - Animals that eat both other animals and plants
Omnivores eat both plants and animal matter and have. therefore, more sources of food available.  Some omnivores include:
Bears     *    Turtles     *    Squirrels     *     Monkeys, Apes and Baboons     *     Rats     *    Badgers