On this page you’ll discover all our Herbivorous Animals, but first…
Interesting Facts about Herbivorous Animals
Some animals have no problem eating their vegetables. In fact, for some animals that’s pretty much all that they eat! These animals are called herbivores. They are any creature that subsists or survives on a plant-based diet. Some animals eat a mix of plants and meat (like most humans) and are called omnivores, but even vegetarians are still different from herbivores because for herbivores it’s not a voluntary choice-it’s just how they are built!
- Lots of cool animals are herbivores: buffalo, cows, horses, giraffes, and pandas as well as tortoises, parrots, ants, and butterflies.
- Although there are reptiles, birds, insects, and mammals all represented in the herbivore category, there are fewer than there are carnivorous or omnivorous animals.
- Draw the two most different herbivores that you can think of-maybe a grasshopper and a yak? It’s neat to think that such an important aspect of their life can connect things that are so far distinct in environment and appearances. What other connections can you make? Do they have a common ancestor? See what commonalities you can find!
- One of the things that make herbivores special is their ability to digest parts of plants that other animals cannot. Often this takes a unique digestive system that can handle so much work. Cows, for example, have four digestive compartments in their stomach.
- See what must be like! No, you don’t have to have a meal made entirely of grass, but you can try a vegetarian meal or two.
- Set the table with herbivore themed place settings and chow down! You might be surprised at how little you miss the meat.
- Diet can even vary within a kind of animal. Most deer are herbivores, but there are a few species that eat meat! This difference arises most likely because of an animal’s environment and circumstances. While they have evolved to be able to live off of plants, if that food source becomes scarce, then an animal will do what it needs to survive.
- An interesting lesson to learn from herbivores is how our behavior changes based on our environment. Sketch out the ideal habitat for a herbivore. How does it differ from your neighborhood? Is there anything you can ensure a better and safer environment for the herbivores that live close to you? Enlist your family, friends, and other kids in your neighborhood to do what you can!
