What makes a herbivore

In Latin, omnivore means to eat everything. Humans, bears shown in Figure 3a , and chickens are example of vertebrate omnivores; invertebrate omnivores include cockroaches and crayfish shown in Figure 3b. Figure 3. Omnivores like the a bear and b crayfish eat both plant and animal based food. Improve this page Learn More. Skip to main content. Module The Digestive System. Search for:. Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores Learning Outcomes Identify the different structures required for herbivory and predatory diets.

Almost all living things on Earth, either directly or indirectly, get nourishment from the sun. All other animals and organisms rely on their conversion of the sun's light energy and converting it into chemical energy. Herbivores are the transportation system of photosynthetic energy and are called "primary consumers" in the trophic system, meaning they are the first animals to eat the producers. This is why there are fewer herbivores than plants on Earth. There are more herbivores on Earth than carnivores for the same reason, explained McCarthy.

Only around 10 percent of the herbivore's energy will be used by the carnivore that consumes it. The digestive systems of carnivores and herbivores are very different. Carnivores typically have only one stomach chamber and a simple digestive system. Herbivores can often have several stomach chambers and a much longer digestive tract.

Herbivores with multiple stomach chambers — such as camels, deer, sheep, giraffes and cattle — are called ruminants. Digestion starts with the teeth.

Herbivores have large, flat teeth that grind up plant materials. In contrast, carnivores have mostly sharp, pointed teeth that are used for tearing flesh. Once the plant materials are chewed, special bacteria in the gut of an herbivore and the longer digestive tract break down the plant material.

Examples of small carnivores include some smaller birds and toads. These carnivores may eat insects and worms. Carnivorous animals have strong jaws and sharp teeth to enable them to tear and rip prey. These animals often have long, sharp claws that they also use to tear prey. Carnivores depend on sufficient prey in the food chain to give them the food they need.

If the herbivore population or the population of other carnivores declines in an ecosystem, carnivores may not survive. With a diet comprised of only plants, herbivores can be surprisingly large animals. Examples of large herbivores include cows, elk, and buffalo. These animals eat grass, tree bark, aquatic vegetation, and shrubby growth.

Herbivores can also be medium-sized animals such as sheep and goats, which eat shrubby vegetation and grasses. Small herbivores include rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and mice. These animals eat grass, shrubs, seeds, and nuts. An ecosystem must provide abundant plants to sustain herbivores, and many of them spend the majority of their lives eating to stay alive. If plant availability declines, herbivores may not have enough to eat.

This could cause a decline in herbivore numbers, which would also impact carnivores. Herbivores usually have special biological systems to digest a variety of different plants. Their teeth also have special designs that enable them to rip off the plants and then grind them up with flat molars.