71 / 116
What Animals Eat
Some animals eat plants and plant parts. Deer eat grass, leaves, and twigs.
Gophers eat roots. Squirrels eat nuts and berries. Grasshoppers eat grass.
Pond snails and fish eat algae. Animals that eat only plants or algae are
called
herbivores
.
Some animals don’t eat plants. Snakes don’t eat nuts and berries. Hawks
don’t eat grass. Spiders don’t eat leaves. So how do they get their matter and
energy? They eat other animals. Snakes and hawks eat gophers and squirrels.
Spiders eat insects. Frogs eat insects. Sea otters eat abalone and sea urchins.
Animals that eat other animals are called
carnivores
. Carnivores that catch
live animals are called predators. The animals they eat are called
prey
.
Some animals, like bears, raccoons, robins, and crayfish, eat both plants
and animals. They are called
omnivores
.
Some animals eat dead organisms. Some, like vultures, eat only dead
animals. Others, like isopods and termites, eat dead leaves and wood.
Coyotes, rats, and ants will eat just about anything that is dead. Crayfish
will also eat dead plants and animals. Animals that feed on dead organisms
are called scavengers.
A bear is an omnivore because it
eats both plants and animals.
A deer is an herbivore because
it eats only plants.
71