What animals eat: herbivores, carnivores and omnivores
Biology · Key Stage 1 · The School
Three kinds of eater
A HERBIVORE eats only plants. A CARNIVORE eats only meat. An OMNIVORE eats both plants and meat. These three words describe every animal's diet. Humans are omnivores. Look at an animal's teeth to guess what it eats.
Herbivores
Cows, rabbits and elephants are herbivores. They eat grass, leaves and plants. Some herbivores, like cows, have flat teeth for grinding tough plants. Elephants eat huge amounts of plants every single day. Rabbits nibble grass for many hours each day.
Carnivores
Lions, sharks and spiders are carnivores. They hunt and eat other animals. Carnivores often have sharp, pointed teeth for tearing meat. A shark's teeth are shaped just for gripping and cutting. Spiders trap insects in sticky webs to eat.
Omnivores
Bears, pigs and humans are omnivores. They eat both plants and meat. Omnivore teeth are often mixed. Some are flat for grinding. Some are sharp for tearing. Humans have both kinds. A dog is an omnivore too, and can eat vegetables as well as meat.
Sorting three animals by their teeth
A cow has wide, flat teeth for grinding grass — a herbivore. A fox has sharp, pointed teeth for gripping prey — a carnivore. A bear has both flat teeth and sharp teeth, because it eats berries AND fish — an omnivore. Look at the teeth, and the diet becomes clear.