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Herbivore Animals – Definition, Classification, Characteristics, Examples

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Before going to know what are herbivore animals, we have to know what are animals?. With the previous question, we have to also know what number of kinds of creatures are there?. Animals that live along with human beings. In our environment, there are many animals. Animals are living creatures on the earth. On earth, there are many species like people we have creatures that live on the earth by eating various kinds of food.

What is an Animal?

A creature is one of the living things on this planet, as human organisms on the earth. Creatures are isolated into many kinds in light of various classes. Those categories are.

  •  Animals are divided based on their eating habits of animals or creatures.
  • Animals are divided based on the reproduction of animals.
  • Creatures are isolated, given the spine.

Based on the eating habits of animals are classified as below:

  1.  Herbivorous: Herbivorous are those organisms that consume plants. Animals like Okapi, honey bee, zebra, elephants, goats, cows, buffalo, and camels are examples of herbivorous.
  2. Carnivorous: Carnivorous are the creatures that consume different creatures. Animals like Cuttlefish, octopus, tigers, and lions are examples of carnivorous.
  3. Omnivorous: Omnivorous are the animals that consume numerous animals as well as plants. Animals like hedgehogs dogs, crows, cats, hens, pigs, rats, bats, and humans are examples of omnivorous.
  4. Parasites: Parasites are the animals that live on other bodies for food inside or outside the other living natural substances. Creatures like flea, houseflies, ticks, tape warm, infection-caused organisms, and lice are instances of parasites.
  5. Scavengers: Scavengers are the animals that consume their food from dead bodies. Animals like a vulture, and Jackal are examples of scavengers.

Herbivorous

Herbivorous animals are special species on earth, they eat only herbs. Herbs are nothing but short plants like grass. There are around 4000 herbivorous species in our environment. Some herbivorous animals namely cow, deer, parrot, kangaroo, Horse, goat, rabbit, elephant, sheep, camel, buffalo, etc.

Features of herbivorous animals

  • Herbivorous creatures carry on with a daily existence in the light of plants in particular.
  • Herbivorous are the animals that are the primary consumers on the earth.
  • Herbivorous animals have a mutualistic gut for digestion on a plant basis.
Pyramid of Food chain

 

Above is the food chain of animals, herbivores are primary consumers. Primary consumers which are herbivores consume producers and get energy. Similarly, omnivores consume primary consumers which are herbivores. Similarly carnivores consume omnivores. So, from this diagram, we can say that down position animals or plants are food for next position animals or plants.

The food chain of Herbivores

 

The above is the food chain diagram of herbivores only. Plants like herbs, grass, and small plants are food for herbivores like cockroaches, cows, goats, etc., Herbivores survive on these plants only. Like herbivores, carnivores purely depend on herbivores which means herbivores are food for carnivores that are above the position of herbivores. Herbivores are in the 2nd position in the food chain in the diagram of the food chain of animals.

Digestion of Herbivores

The digestion of herbivores is very different from other animals. Herbivores have a single stomach with a long intestine with a cecum. Because herbivores are based on plants only, they need teeth for the mechanical chewing of plants that go into the stomach. Plants have cellulose compound which is a breakdown in the stomach by adding the enzyme cellulose. After the breakdown of plant matter, it goes into the intestine, and then it came out from the cecum. This is how digestion happens for herbivores.

How are Herbivores protected from Predators?

Predators are the animals that eat other animals for their survival. Herbivores only depend on a plant basis. Different herbivores have different protecting techniques to protect themselves from predators. Let’s assume a bird is a herbivore that eats grains that came from plants. If a predator like an eagle which is large compared to the bird attacks the bird, what will the bird do? A bird builds a nest for their safety as well as to live. Most birds will save in that nest which is in the closed position. Like that herbivores will do some protection like this. Animals like tortoises have hard shells that act as protection for tortoise and also plants like rose have thorn which is used for protection from being eaten by other animals.

How herbivores will create an impact on the environment?

Because of the herbivores, we humans lead a better life for the sake of nutrients, vitamins, etc., for our body. Cow gives milk by eating grass only. Milk has proteins and calcium which must be the essential compounds or essential food for intake of our body. Because of herbivores, the food chain goes into a cycle manner. Without herbivores and plants, no matter of said about carnivores and predators.

Conceptual Questions 

Question 1: Are humans are herbivores, carnivores, omnivores? Explain why?

Answer:

Yes, humans are omnivores because they eat both types of food, which come from other animals like goats and plants. Humans can eat meat food like a goat which is an herbivore animal, and they can also able to eat plants like asparagus and lettuce, etc., From this, we can say humans both eat plants and animals which is why humans are omnivores.

Question 2: How does cellulose in plant matter break down in herbivores? Explain?

Answer: 

Herbivore eats plant matter only. Herbivore has one stomach, one intestine, and one cecum. Plant matter or material mainly contains cellulose. When herbivores like goats and cockroaches chew the plant with teeth, and then it goes to the stomach in the stomach digestion enzyme called enzyme cellulose is used to break down plant matter into solid form, that solid form is come out from the cecum. This is how cellulose in plant matter breakdown and came out as a solid matter.

Question 3:  What are the predators for herbivores, explain?

Answer: 

Herbivores like goats have predators – foxes, wolves, bears, Eagles, and dogs. Another herbivore cockroaches have predators-mice, toads, frogs, and mammals. Lastly, herbivore cow predators have predators-lions, tigers, cheetahs, and wild dogs.

Question 4: Explain one herbivore food chain?

Answer: 

The food chain of herbivore deer is explained below.

Deer ate vegetarian food like plants. Mainly, plants are the primary food for the deer. Deer are eaten by a tiger/lion, which is one example of carnivores. Lion/tiger is eaten after death by second carnivores like an eagle or some organisms like earthworm to decompose it. The decomposed matter acts like compost which is useful for plant matter to grow. This is the cycle of one of the herbivore deer.

Question 5: How many years do different herbivores live on earth? 

Answer: 

Different herbivores like goat, cow, cockroach, deer, and giraffe life years are approximately given below.

Herbivores Estimated year of life
Giraffe approximately 26 years
Goat approximately 14 years
Cow approximately 15 years
cockroach approximately 20 to 30 weeks
Deer approximately 9 years

Question 6: Is it mandatory that herbivores in the food chain? Explain why?

Answer: 

Yes, of course, herbivores are mandatory. Because herbivores are, they are primary consumers for the carnivores. If we have no herbivores in the food chain, there is no food for carnivores to survive. If we don’t have carnivores then there is no food for eagles, and earthworms and if earthworms are not there then plants have no composition to grow quickly. That is why herbivores are mandatory in the food chain.



Last Updated : 12 Jan, 2024
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