Herbivorous Animals (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what herbivorous animals are, their characteristics, types and examples. Also, carnivorous and omnivorous animals.

herbivorous animals giraffe — Herbivores feed on leaves, stems, fruits, flowers and roots.

What are herbivorous animals?

Herbivorous animals are those whose diet depends almost exclusively on plants and vegetables that is, they do not usually feed regularly on anything except leaves, stems, fruits, flowers or other derivatives of the plant kingdom.

For this reason, herbivores are primary consumers that is, they are part of the first rung of consumer organisms in almost all trophic or food chains. Thus, they provide sustenance to the carnivores and omnivores that prey on them.

Besides, are an important vector in the dispersal of plant seeds. Herbivores ingest them along with the fruits and then excrete them elsewhere, giving rise to the birth of a new tree or shrub far from the shadow of its parent.

Herbivore organisms are adapted to their diet. That is to say, they have body structures that allow them to better crush the hard plant fibers and extract the greatest amount of nutrients from them, throughout a generally slow and long digestive process.

There are herbivorous animals of all types and species. However, the most significant for their impact on ecosystems are insects particularly numerous and diverse in almost all ecosystems. Ruminant mammals are also abundant, which humans have known how to domesticate since the dawn of civilization.

Characteristics of herbivorous animals

herbivorous animals zebra teeth — The teeth of herbivores are adapted to cutting and crushing plants.

The herbivores They generally have structures adapted to their feeding pattern whether to cut the leaves, crush the stems or drill holes in the wood to sip the sap.

These structures can be pincers, beaks or simply thick molars, as in the case of ruminants, animals that spend all day chewing and re-chewing the consumed plant fibers, to guarantee their full use.

Similarly, large herbivores, such as ruminant mammals, have a slow and complex digestive system often composed of several stomachs, ideal for the full use of plant matter, much harder and more resistant than meat. Therefore, it is necessary to dedicate a large amount of time to feeding.

Something similar happens with termites, whose digestive system allows them to decompose the cellulose in wood, or with aphids, equipped with a mouthpart that allows them to sip the sap directly from the stem, thus facilitating the digestive task.

Types of herbivorous animals

herbivorous animals termites wood — Termites are xylophagous because they feed on wood.

Herbivores are classified based on their diet, that is, what type of plant matter they consume mostly. Many species may combine categories, while others may have more exclusive diets.

Frugivores Those that feed primarily on fruits, either constantly (usually in the tropics) or seasonally (in temperate latitudes).
Folivores Those that feed on the leaves and stems of plants, often with the help of symbiotic bacteria that allow them to absorb nutrients and break down the abundant cellulose.
Xylophages Those that feed on wood, mostly arthropods.
Granivores Those that feed on seeds or grains.
Rhizophages Those that feed on roots.

Examples of herbivorous animals

herbivorous animals mammals fruits orangutan — Orangutans, like 20% of mammals, feed on fruits.

It is not difficult to find examples of herbivorous animals. 20% of existing mammals are frugivores for example, including apes such as orangutans, and a high percentage of birds as well, such as the macaw or the toucan.

Among the folivores we find the cow, the buffalo, the bison, the giraffe and a huge variety of ruminant mammals. Caterpillars and aphids are also folivores, considered pests in many plantations.

For its part, Termites are a perfect example of xylophages and squirrels, field rats and vizcachas are examples of rhizophagous animals. And of granivores we can take as an example an abundant selection of seed-eating birds such as parakeet finches, parrots, geese, ducks, etc.

carnivorous animals

Unlike herbivores, Carnivorous animals have diets almost exclusively based on meat which makes them tenacious predators and/or scavengers.

Animal organic matter is much more nutritious and easier to digest than vegetable matter. Therefore, carnivores tend to feed less often and digest more easily than its herbivorous counterpart.

They have organs adapted for hunting (claws, powerful jaws, poisons to immobilize prey, etc.), and dentures adapted to tear muscle fibers and other organic tissues. The best example of carnivorous animals are the big cats of the savanna and the jungle, such as lions, tigers, panthers, pumas or cheetahs.

Continue in: Carnivorous animals

Omnivorous animals

omnivorous herbivorous animals bear — Many bears are hunters but they also eat fruit, which is why they are omnivores.

When an animal does not have a specialized diet but rather feeds opportunistically (that is, with whatever is at hand), we can call it an omnivorous animal (from the Latin omnis“all”).

Omnivores have poorly specialized digestive systems, being able to feed on both plant and animal organic matter coming from a very varied range of possible food sources. Examples of omnivorous animals are dogs, jackals, foxes, bears, ostriches, turtles, and also humans.