A carnivore meaning 'meat
eater' (Latin, carne meaning 'flesh' and vorare meaning 'to devour') is an
organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet
consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation
or scavenging . Animals that depend solely on animal flesh for their nutrient
requirements are considered obligate carnivores while those that also consume
non-animal food are considered facultative carnivores. Omnivores also consume
both animal and non-animal food, and apart from the more general definition,
there is no clearly defined ratio of plant to animal material that would
distinguish a facultative carnivore from an omnivore, or an omnivore from a
facultative herbivore, for that matter. A carnivore that sits at the top of the
foodchain is an apex predator.
No comments:
Post a Comment