Navigation
  • Home
  • Recent
  • Most Active
  • Popular
  • Blog
  • Credits
  • RSS
  •   Interaction
  • Register
  • Statistics
  •   Help
  • Suggestions
  • Contact Us
  • How to Edit
  • Help



  • [Edit]



    An omnivore (from Latin: omne all, everything; vorare to devour) is a species of animal who are "... generalized feeders, with neither carnivore nor herbivore specializations for acquiring or processing food, and who are capable of consuming and do consume both animal protein and vegetation."


        Omnivore
            Description
            As food
            Species of omnivorous animals
                Compare and contrast

    top

    Description
    The teeth of omnivorous animals are less specialized than those of herbivores and carnivores. This is an important distinction because it allows them to do both grinding and tearing efficiently. The ability to do both is given by a mixture of sharp cutting teeth and flat grinding teeth. The human jaw structure is a well known example, as the incisors and canines are good for biting and the molars are good for grinding.

    Omnivore is a species designation. Being an omnivorous species does not mean all animals in that species are required to eat both meat and plants. It also does not mean that the animals eat equal amounts of meat and plants.

    top

    As food
    According to Islamic dietary laws most omnivores are forbidden to be eaten, the exception being fish and birds.

    top

    Species of omnivorous animals


    top

    Compare and contrast
     
    Search more:
     

       
    Source Privacy License Download Contact Us Atlas
    Scientus.org Dictionary (Yet Another Wiki) RC : 1.39
    MIT OpenCourseWare
    This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License [copyleft]. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Omnivore". link