Question

Define herbivores?

Answer 1

Herbivores:

1. Herbivores or herbivorous animals are those animals that feed on plants, leaves, fruits & other plant-based food for nutrition. They are called primary consumers & occupy level 2 in the food chain.
2. Cow, goat, giraffe, sheep, & zebra are common eg of herbivores.
3. Interestingly, there are some herbivores that specialize in feeding on certain parts of the plant – for eg, animals that feed on fruits are called frugivores while folivores are herbivores that feed on leaves.
4. Herbivores Characteristics: lt includes:
   1. Herbivores are physiologically & anatomically adapted to feed on other plant material.
   2. Most herbivores also have mutualistic gut flora that aids the digestion of plant matter.
   3. Herbivores are primary consumers in a food chain as they have the ability to survive on plant matter alone.
   4. Herbivores also have this specialized dentition which generally helps them to grind and process tough plant matter. For eg, many herbivores have strong & flat molars while others have non-existent or vestigial canine teeth.