Carnivores

Carnivores are part of food webs, consuming other animals and influencing the populations with which they interact. Their hunting and feeding adaptations differ between groups.

What is a carnivore?

A carnivore obtains most or all of its energy and nutrients from animal food. Some hunt living prey; others scavenge carcasses. The name comes from Latin words meaning “flesh-eating”.

Many carnivorous mammals have pointed teeth suited to eating meat. Birds, spiders and other carnivores use different structures instead, such as beaks or fangs.

Small examples include spiders, many frogs and insect-eating bats. Birds of prey and snakes provide other examples. Large carnivores include wild dogs, wolves, lions, tigers and crocodiles.

Carnivores are a feeding group. The mammal order Carnivora is a different kind of group, based on how animals are related.

See also: omnivores, herbivores, the Animals A–Z index and dog breeds.