Carnivore facts for kids
A carnivore is an animal that eats only meat. These animals get all their energy and nutrients from other animals.
Many carnivores are predators. This means they hunt and kill their own food. Think of a lion chasing a zebra! Other carnivores are scavengers. They eat animals that are already dead, like vultures eating a carcass.
Some carnivores have special names based on what they eat:
It's important to know that the word "carnivore" describes an animal's diet. It's different from the scientific group called Carnivora. Most animals in the Carnivora group do eat meat, but not all of them do.
Contents
What Kinds of Animals Are Carnivores?
Carnivores can be found in almost every animal group. Here are some examples:
Mammal Carnivores
Many mammals are carnivores.
- Cats and their relatives: This includes your pet cat, big cats like lions and tigers, and animals like hyenas and mongooses.
- Dogs and their relatives: Animals like dogs, wolves, foxes, ferrets, seals, and walruses are mostly meat-eaters.
- Ocean mammals: All dolphins, whales, and porpoises are carnivores. They hunt fish and other sea creatures.
- Bats: Most bats eat insects, making them insectivores. Fruit bats are an exception.
- Marsupials: Some marsupials, like the Tasmanian devil, are carnivores.
Bird Carnivores
Birds of all shapes and sizes can be carnivores.
- Birds of prey: Hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls are famous for hunting other animals.
- Vultures: Both Old World and New World vultures are scavengers, eating dead animals.
- Water birds: Many waterfowl like gulls, penguins, pelicans, storks, and herons eat fish and other small aquatic animals.
Reptile Carnivores
Reptiles also have many carnivores among them.
- Crocodilians: Alligators, crocodiles, gharials, and caimans are powerful predators.
- Snakes: All snakes, from cobras to pythons, eat other animals.
- Lizards: Some lizards, like monitor lizards, are carnivores.
- Turtles: Certain turtles, such as the snapping turtle and most sea turtles, are meat-eaters.
Fish and Amphibian Carnivores
The underwater world is full of carnivores.
- Frogs and Toads: All frogs and toads are carnivores, mostly eating insects.
- Sharks: Almost all sharks, including tiger sharks and great white sharks, are top predators in the ocean.
- Bony fish: Many teleost fish like tuna, marlin, salmon, and bass hunt smaller fish.
Invertebrate Carnivores
Even tiny creatures can be carnivores!
- Crustaceans: Many crustaceans, like the coconut crab, eat some prey and dead animals.
- Molluscs: Many molluscs, such as octopus and squid, are predators.
- Arachnids: All arachnids, like spiders and scorpions, are carnivores.
- Insects: Many insects, such as mantises, dragonflies, and most wasps, hunt other insects.
- Jellyfish and Sea Stars: All jellyfish and sea stars are carnivores.
Related Pages
Images for kids
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Lions are obligate carnivores, meaning they only eat meat to get their nutrients.
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Some plants, like the Venus flytrap, are also carnivores! They catch insects.
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The Bengal tiger has large canines and strong jaws, showing it's a top predator.
See also
In Spanish: Carnívoro para niños
