Carnivore

A carnivore is an animal whose basic diet consists of the flesh of other living animals, whether mammals, birds, fish, insects, or small invertebrates. The Somali terms habardugaag and hilibcun are used interchangeably. The opposite category is geedcun (plant-eaters), while animals that eat both are called wax-walba-cun (omnivores).

Carnivory is a dietary trait, not solely a biological category. When animals are classified, there is an order called Carnivora that includes lions, hyenas, badgers, foxes, and cats; however, some members of this order do not eat meat exclusively (for example, some foxes eat fruit and vegetation). Conversely, animals outside this order—such as aardvarks, pangolins, hedgehogs, and sharks—are true carnivores.

Physical characteristics

Most carnivores have sharp canine teeth for grasping and tearing meat, and carnassial teeth that slice flesh like scissors. Their digestive tract is generally shorter than that of herbivores, since meat is easily digested and does not require the prolonged bacterial breakdown needed for plant material like cellulose. The eyes of most carnivores face forward, which facilitates distance perception.

Types of carnivores

Depending on the degree of dependence on meat, there are obligate carnivores whose diet is almost entirely flesh—such as domestic cats, which require nutrients like taurine found only in meat—and facultative carnivores that eat both meat and other foods. There are also further classifications based on prey type: insectivores (insect-eaters), piscivores (fish-eaters), and scavengers (which feed on already-dead animals).

Role in ecosystems

In food chains, carnivores occupy top positions, regulating populations of herbivores. When large carnivores disappear from an area, populations of herbivores often increase, which can affect plant growth. Because energy is lost at each level of the food chain, populations of carnivores in an ecosystem are smaller than those of the animals they consume.