What is an omnivorous animal?
An omnivore is defined as any living being that feeds on animals and plants daily to survive. Therefore, their organisms are designed to process both types of food.
It is important to distinguish between omnivorous animals and those carnivorous animals that on exceptional occasions may be fed plants due to a lack of meat to eat.
An example would be a leopard that, unable to find prey to hunt, must temporarily feed on grass. This does not make it an omnivorous animal, since it is an exceptional situation. If it is fed with plants for a long time it will probably die since it needs animal protein (meat) to be nourished.
Similarly, there are herbivorous animals that could eat meat due to the scarcity of plants. An example would be a rabbit that must be fed the remains of another animal. But this situation does not make it omnivorous, since its body is not adapted to eating meat.
On the other hand, omnivores need both types of food (meat and plants) to obtain the energy necessary to fulfill their vital functions.
The word omnivore comes from the Latin “omnivorus“, composed by “omni” which means “everything” and “vorus” which means “eat.” Therefore, omnivorous means “that eats everything.”
Characteristics of omnivores
Omnivorous animals have different characteristics compared to animals with other types of diet, such as:
Your digestive system digests meat and vegetables: They have the ability to take advantage of both types of food simultaneously or separately.
They are opportunistic animals: This means that they feed on what is available and in which they do not have to invest so much effort, be it animals or plants.
They have a jaw adapted to their diet: Omnivores have flat molars to crush plants and fruits, short incisors and curved fangs to tear meat into pieces.
They can be hunters or prey: Omnivorous animals are generally hunters (such as jaguars or bears) but they can also be prey to other animals, such as zebras that are prey to jackals.
They adapt better to different environments: Due to their ability to feed on animals and plants, they have a greater capacity for survival than herbivorous or carnivorous animals.
Examples of omnivorous animals
It is possible to find examples of omnivores in the different classifications of animals, as we will see below:
Omnivorous mammals
Mammals are animals characterized by being vertebrates (they have a backbone) and by developing their young in the mother’s womb. In this group it is possible to find herbivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous animals.
Some examples of omnivorous mammals are:
PeoplePigDogBearRatChimpanzeeSquirrelBoarArmadillo
See also Vertebrate animals
omnivorous birds
Birds are vertebrate animals that are characterized by remaining stable in their hind limbs, since the front limbs evolved to become wings. Birds do not have teeth, so they can eat food whole and their digestive system is responsible for processing it.
Examples of omnivorous birds are:
OstrichSeagullFlamingoPeacockWoodpeckerDoveSwanDuckCrowChicken
See also Oviparous animals
Omnivorous reptiles
Reptiles are vertebrates characterized by the presence of scales and by having lung and cutaneous respiration (through the skin). Reptiles may or may not have teeth, but in no case do they chew food. For this reason, their digestive tract is rich in acids that help break down food.
Among the omnivorous reptiles, the following stand out:
Sahara lizardOcellated lizardBalearic lizardSome species of turtles, such as the carbonarian turtle or the cupiso turtle.
Omnivorous fish
Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are distinguished from other animals by their gill breathing, the presence of fins and by having skin covered with scales. When they eat, food passes from the mouth to the esophagus, where it is crushed.
Examples of omnivorous fish are
PiranhaPufferfishCodClown fishCarp fish
See also Animal Kingdom
Omnivore and herbivore
Herbivorous animals are those that feed exclusively on plants, including their leaves, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, sap or fruit.
Some examples of herbivorous animals are: kangaroo, zebra, cow, sheep, giraffe, kangaroo, horse, elephant, deer, goat, bear, camel, rabbit, buffalo, etc.
Omnivore and carnivore
Carnivorous animals are those that eat the meat of other animals. These animals play an important role in the food chain, since they balance the ecosystem by controlling the populations of the species on which they feed.
Some examples of carnivorous animals are: cats, wolves, whales, sharks, starfish, pelicans, leopards, spiders, scorpions, and other animal species.