LIST of carnivorous animals

On our planet there are a huge amount of different animal species they live in very different habitats, they behave in a unique way and have a certain way of feeding. All of them maintain a position within the food chain, the ones located at the top being the animals that we call carnivores. To get to know this kind of animals, in this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to offer you the examples and characteristics of carnivorous animals.

Carnivorous animals are all those species of animals that base their diet on the meat consumption, being from other animals where they obtain the necessary nutrients for their survival.

Food is a very important factor in the development of an animal, being able to modify its physique or its behavior, therefore it is important to talk about the different defining characteristics of carnivores and they differentiate them from other species.

Some of these characteristics are the following:

• They are usually located in the top of the food chain, being predators and only prey for other carnivorous animals.
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• They are secondary consumers, since they feed on herbivores who are primary consumers.
• Has some prepared teeth to tear and chew meat, as well as to split the bones of the prey.
• The body of carnivores is ready to hunt the animals, being long and strong, allowing them to reach high speeds to catch prey.
• There are species with unique capabilities that allow them to hunt, faster wings in hunting birds or the ability to attack in groups are examples of this.
• Many carnivores they have claws, capable of trapping and killing prey.
• Your digestive system is ready for meat to digest quickly.

In this other lesson we will talk about the omnivorous animals so that you know the type of diet of these other animals.

Within carnivores we can speak of different divisions, depending on factors such as the shape in which they hunt, if their entire diet is based on meat, or the type of animals they consume mostly. Therefore, there is no totally valid division of carnivores, but we can find several different divisions.

Types of carnivores according to their feeding method

One of these distinctions of carnivores in its variability depending on how they get meat that they consume, depending on whether it is first-hand, or they only feed on the remains of dead animals. The two types are as follows:

• Predators: They are the carnivores that they hunt the prey on which they later feed. This class of carnivores are very powerful, being able to hunt herbivores, and to get their own food.
• Scavengers: They are the carnivores that they base their diet on animal remains, whether hunted by predators or killed naturally. They are capable of eliminating dangerous bacteria from dead animals, possessing a very powerful organism.

Types of carnivorous animals according to their nutritional variability

Another of the divisions that can be made is depending on what percentage of your diet is based on meat. These classes are as follows:

• Strict: They are the carnivores that are considered "true", since all their diet is based on the consumption of meat. Their bodies only allow them to consume meat, so they only eat other products on very strange occasions.
• Flexible: They are those animals that base their diet on the consumption of meat, but that they can also eat vegetables. Sometimes they are considered omnivores, although their consumption of vegetables is due to the impossibility of finding prey on many occasions.

Finally we can find a series of divisions within carnivores based on the class of prey they consume, such as the insectivores that feed on insects, or those that eat ants and termites which are called myrmecophagus.

There are a huge number of carnivorous animals, with examples in almost all groups of animals. To conclude this lesson on carnivorous animals examples and characteristics, we must give some examples of carnivorous animals. These examples are as follows:

1. Mammals: Within mammals we can find different classes of carnivores, both large animals at the top of the food chain, and other smaller creatures. Some examples are felines, Some canids, or scavengers like vultures.
2. Birds: Carnivorous birds have a body designed to be able to hunt their prey, being examples of this the Eagles or the hawks. On the other hand, there are scavengers, which eat the remains of dead animals, such as vultures.
3. Reptiles: Reptiles are descendants of the great dinosaurs, a group that possessed some of the largest carnivores in history. Examples of carnivorous reptiles are the crocodiles and the snakes.
4. Fishes: In the sea we can also find dangerous carnivores, the most famous being the sharks, and being another example the bony fish.
5. Amphibians: Even in such a small group of animals we can find examples of animals, such as frogs and the salamanders.
6. Invertebrates: Invertebrates are in many cases one of the favorite victims of carnivores, but there are also carnivorous invertebrates. Examples are the arachnids, some insects and the big mollusks.