Herbivores Carnivores and Omnivores for Kids Learn which animals eat plants meat or both

laughs herbivores carnivores and omnivores every animal in the world has at least one thing in common they must eat but what animals eat can be totally different depending on the kind of animal can be herbivores carnivores or omnivores today we are going to talk about what each of these words mean but first let's quickly pretend we are eating dinner together what types of food do you usually eat it might be combination of meat vegetables or fruit or maybe you do not eat meat at all or maybe you eat lots of fruit when you are not in the mood for vegetables not every human has the same diet or favorite foods and neither do animals so let's see what animals are having for dinner we already mentioned that animals can be herbivores carnivores or omnivores when you look at these words what do you think that VOR means here is an interesting fact the suffix or end part of the word VOR is from the Latin word that means to eat or devour in this case VOR is combined with the prefixes or beginning parts of the words Urban which means plants carne which means meat or flesh and Omni which means everything or all knowing the definitions of these words will come in handy so keep them in your brains because now it is finally time to talk about these three cool animal diets first up is herbivore as you can probably guess herbivores are animals who only eat plants no meat for them not even when it's Juicy Hamburger though they might eat the lettuce and tomatoes physical characteristics of herbivores include dull or no canine teeth with big flat side and back teeth herbivores use their molars to crush and grind plants the eye placement of most herbivores is located more on the sides of their heads because they do not have to track down or hunt prey not all herbivores are the same eat only grasses While others eat different kinds of plants seeds or fruits here is an interesting fact birds bees and butterflies eat nectar from flowers to get the nutrients they need to survive in the human world vegetarians are people who eat mainly plants and do not eat meat just like herbivores examples of herbivores are sheep cows deer squirrels elephants parrots giraffes kangaroos mice and insects such as caterpillars and grasshoppers what do you think carnivores eat if you said meat you are right carnivores are animals with long sharp canine teeth next to their front teeth plus sharp cheek teeth called carnesials try saying that three times fast bet they would love to sink their teeth into juicy burger patty these sharp teeth are perfect for seizing and stabbing prey and chewing them up unlike herbivores carnivores's eyes are located in the front of their heads so that they can spot and determine the distance of their prey meat is high energy food source for carnivores they find their food by hunting live prey or by eating animals that are already dead many carnivorous animals have big claws sharp teeth or beaks and quick speed this is all to help them hunt whether they live on land swim in the sea or soar through the sky animals like lions tigers crocodiles wolves and snakes birds like owls and Eagles and insects like beetles and dragonflies are all carnivores so is the Venus flytrap which is actually plant isn't the wild we have talked about animals who only eat plants and animals who only eat meat what is left that's right the animals who eat both AKA omnivores so hamburger with lettuce tomato and bun would probably hit the spot if the omnivore is human that is in fact most humans are omnivores like other animals omnivores May limit the types of plants or animals they eat just like humans Some Humans might only eat plants and fish but no other animal products omnivores in the wild have the widest variety of food options like carnivores omnivores have eyes in the front to help them spot prey and typically have canine teeth too they can also have flat teeth and molars just like herbivores chickens crows bears raccoons gunks pigs Robins lizards Turtles Badgers ostriches ducks flies and catfish are all examples of omnivores well now that you know more about herbivores carnivores and omnivores it is time to play game we are going to name an animal and you have to tell us if it is an herbivore carnivore or an omnivore ready sad go herbivore badger omnivore Venus flytrap carnivore crocodile carnivore parrot herbivore giraffe herbivore catfish omnivore nice work animal diet detectors like humans animals have all different kinds of diets whether they eat plants meat or little bit of both all are important in their own unique way the next time you are sitting down at the dinner table think about what parts of your meal herbivores carnivores and omnivores would eat you can even make it fun game you can play with your family or friends hope you had fun learning with us visit us at learnbrite.org for thousands of free resources and TurnKey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers