We live in an ecosystem or environment where every living organism depends on one another for food and nutrition. As we know that some plants and animals cannot prepare their food, so they depend on other plants and animals for food. Every animal has different kinds of food habits and nutrition requirements. Depending on the nutrition requirements and food habits, animals can be divided into two categories i.e. herbivores and carnivores. Though both of them belong to the Animal kingdom, still they have a lot of differences between them. So, here we will discuss in detail the difference between herbivores and carnivores.
Herbivores
Herbivores refer to those animals that feed on plants or plants products. They gain their nutrition from plants. The physical features of herbivores are different from those of carnivores. Herbivores have broad and flat teeth that help them to chew and smash the plant easily.
Herbivores have special enzymes present in their saliva that can digest carbohydrates. They have a very long intestine and are capable of detoxifying Vitamin A in the liver. Herbivores generally require a lot of energy to stay active throughout the day. So, some animals like cows and sheep eat all day long.
Herbivores are of Different Types Such as
Frugivores: These animals mainly feed upon fruits or fruit-bearing plants.
Nectivores: These animals mostly eat nectar, for example- honeybee
Folivores: The animals that feed on leaves
Granivores: These animals consume only seeds.
Xylophages: They mostly feed on woods.
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Carnivores
Carnivores include those animals that eat the meat of other animals. The carnivores are very healthy and active. They have a robust body structure. Their jaws are built strong so that they can crush and smash bones. Unlike Herbivores, carnivores have a small intestine, and they do not possess any carbohydrate digestive enzyme. The carnivores are not capable of detoxifying Vitamin A. As herbivores have certain adaptations, the carnivores also have certain adaptations that help them catch their prey. The carnivores animals have long and sharp claws and sharp and strong teeth that help them to tear through the flesh of other animals. Some examples of carnivores animals are Lion, tigers, Wolf, etc.
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Difference Between Carnivorous and Herbivorous
A lot of questions arise while studying the topic of Herbivores and Carnivores, and one of the most asked questions is what is the difference between herbivores and carnivores or differentiate between herbivores and carnivores. So, to clear the doubt of the students, we have listed some points of difference between herbivores and carnivores.
Carnivorous vs Herbivorous
Carnivore | Herbivore |
Carnivores are those animals that consume only the meat of other animals. | Herbivores include those animals that depend on plants or plant products for their food and nutrition. |
The carnivores possess long and sharp claws. They also have sharp and strong teeth that help them to tear through the flesh of other animals. | The herbivores have got broad and flat teeth that help them to grind and smash food such as leaves, seeds etc.
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The carnivores animals do not have any kind of carbohydrate digestive enzyme. | The herbivores animals have a special kind of carbohydrate digestive enzyme in their saliva. |
Unlike herbivores, carnivores have no such special ability to detoxify vitamin A. | The herbivores have a special ability to detoxify Vitamin A. |
The carnivores have got reduced facial muscles. | The herbivores have complex facial muscles. |
They have a small intestine as compared to herbivores, and it is 3-6 times their body length. | They have a very large intestine which is 10-12 times their body length. |
Their urine is extremely concentrated. | Their urine is moderately concentrated. |
The ratio of their head to mouth is large. | The ratio of their head to mouth is comparatively smaller than carnivores. |
Example: Wolf, Hyena, Tiger. | Example: Cow, Goat, Elephant. |
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FAQs
Herbivores are animals that eat only plants. Carnivores are animals that eat only meat. Omnivores are animals that eat both plants and meat. The size of an animal does not determine what it eats.
What is the difference between a herbivore and carnivore? ›
Animals that eat plants exclusively are herbivores, and animals that eat only meat are carnivores. When animals eat both plants and meat, they are called omnivores.
What is the difference between a herbivore and a carnivore skull? ›
In general, meat-eating carnivores have teeth for tearing and skulls capable of biting with great force, while the plant-eating herbivores have teeth and skulls equipped to grind tough vegetation. Omnivores, which eat both plants and animals, have skulls and dentition suitable for a wide range of foods.
What is the difference between herbivores and carnivores teeth? ›
For instance, herbivores, because they are plant eaters, have strong and flat molars that are made for grinding leaves and small or non-existent canine teeth. Carnivores, the meat eaters of the animal world, have very defined canine teeth for tearing at meat, combined with a sometimes limited number of molars.
What are 5 examples of herbivores omnivores and carnivores? ›
| Herbivores | Carnivores | Omnivores |
|---|
| Animals that eat only plants or plant products | Animals that eat other animals for meat or flesh | Animals that eat both plants and animals |
| Examples- cow, horse, goat, etc. | Examples- lion, tiger, lizzard, etc. | Examples- dog, cat, crow, etc. |
Herbivores animals have broad, flat and short, teeth to grind and chew plant leaves, grains, and seeds. Carnivores animals possess long, sharp, and curved incisors and canines to tear flesh. Their saliva has digestive enzymes. Their saliva does not have digestive enzymes.
What is the difference between herbivorous and herbivore? ›
Explanation: A herbivore or herbivorous organism, is an organism which gets its prime nutrition from the consumption of plants. If an organism gets nutrition from plants life and animal life, it is what we call an omnivore or omnivorous.
What is the difference between herbivores and carnivores give an example of each? ›
For instance, cows have large, flat teeth that are capable of grinding up plant material. In contrast, carnivores have teeth which are adept for hunting and consuming flesh. For instance, lions have sharp incisors and large, pointed canine teeth. Even their molars are sharp enough to shear meat.
What is the difference between a herbivore and a carnivore in two points? ›
Carnivores are those animals that consume only the meat of other animals. Herbivores include those animals that depend on plants or plant products for their food and nutrition. The carnivores possess long and sharp claws. They also have sharp and strong teeth that help them to tear through the flesh of other animals.
What are the 3 types of carnivore? ›
Types of carnivores
- Obligate carnivores are also called hypercarnivores, which are animals whose diet consists of at least 70 percent meat. ...
- Hypocarnivores are carnivores that eat the least amount of meat. ...
- Mesocarnivores are animals that depend on meat for at least 50 percent of their diet.
Plant cell walls are constructed mainly of cellulose, a material that the digestive enzymes of higher animals are unable to digest or disrupt. Because of this, even the nutritious contents of plant cells are not fully available for digestion.
What is the sharpest tooth? ›
Canines. Moving outward in the mouth, the next teeth are the canines. These four teeth are the sharpest teeth of the mouth. The purpose they serve is to rip and tear food apart, making it easier to digest.
What do carnivores eat? ›
A carnivore is an organism that mostly eats meat, or the flesh of animals. Sometimes carnivores are called predators. Organisms that carnivores hunt are called prey. Carnivores are a major part of the food web, a description of which organisms eat which other organisms in the wild.
Do herbivores live longer than carnivores? ›
Herbivores live longer than carnivores. Some common European herbivores including bison and red deer can live to about 40 years, whereas our carnivores tend to live much shorter lives. But there are too many exceptions to this rule for it to be accepted.
What are 5 examples of carnivores? ›
Examples of Carnivores Animals
There are various kinds of species found in the world. Some of the deadliest carnivorous animals are bobcats, hawks, mountain lions, red foxes, fishers, wolverines, coyotes, eagles and many more. Further, the most recognized are tigers, cheetahs, lions, and hyenas.
What is the difference between a herbivore and an omnivore? ›
Herbivores evolved to consume and digest plants. Omnivores eat plants and animals. But to eat animals, they must retain their ability to capture, kill, and digest prey. As a result, omnivores such as bears and raccoons are anatomically almost completely carnivores, with a few minor adaptations for eating plants.
Can a carnivore eat a herbivore? ›
Many carnivores eat herbivores. Some eat omnivores, and some eat other carnivores. Carnivores that consume other carnivores are called tertiary consumers. Killer whales, or orcas, are a classic example of tertiary consumers.
What is a carnivore and a herbivore using examples? ›
Some examples of different types of animals based on their diet are: Carnivore: A lion, which only eats meat. Herbivore: A cow, which only eats plants. Omnivore: A bear, which eats both plants and meat.
