Herbivores

Herbivores consume plants and are an important part of ecosystems. Plant-eating animals range from small insects to very large mammals.

What is a herbivore?

A herbivore is adapted to a diet based mainly on plant material, such as leaves, grass or algae. Some herbivores also eat a little animal food from time to time.

Small examples include guinea pigs, rabbits and many snails. The larvae and adults of many butterflies use plant food in different forms. Larger examples include horses, cattle, zebras, deer and elephants.

Some herbivores are ruminants: they swallow food, bring it back into the mouth and chew it again to help digest it. Other herbivores use different digestive systems.

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