This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Omnivore is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
 |
This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. WikiProject Animal or the Animal Portal may be able to help recruit one. |
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2008) |
.jpg)
Omnivores (from Latin: omne all, everything; vorare to devour) are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source. They are opportunistic, general feeders not specifically adapted to eat and digest either meat or plant material exclusively.[1] Pigs are one well-known example of an omnivore.[2] Crows are another example of an omnivore that many people see every day.[3] Humans are also omnivores. [4]
Although there are reported cases of herbivores eating meat matter as well as examples of carnivores eating plants, the classification refers to the adaptations and main food source of the species in general so these exceptions do not make either individual animals nor the species as a whole omnivores.
Most bear species are considered omnivores, but individuals' diets can range from almost exclusively herbivorous to almost exclusively carnivorous depending on what food sources are available locally and seasonally. Polar bears can be classified as carnivores while pandas almost exclusively eat bamboo and are therefore herbivores, although Giant Pandas will eat some meat from time to time. Therefore, they are still considered a herbivore because they mainly eat plants.
Species considered omnivorous
 |
This article or section may require cleanup because it is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (January 2008) |
Various mammals are omnivorous by nature such as bears; coatis; canines like gray wolves or dingos; hedgehogs; opossums; pigs; some primates including chimpanzees and humans; raccoons; rodents including chipmunks, mice, rats, and squirrels; skunks; sloths; various birds whose prey varies from berries and nectar to insects, worms, fish, small rodents, and snakes; cassowarys; chickens; corvids including crows, magpies, ravens, and rooks; keas; rallidae; rheas; some fish such as piranhas; some lizards; and turtles. Their diet consists of both meat and vegetable matter.
References
- ^ Adapted from a talk by John McArdle, Ph.D.. "Humans are Omnivores". Vegetarian Resource Group. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
- ^ Brent Huffman. "Family Suidae (Pigs)". UltimateUngulate.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
- ^ Seattle Audubon Society. "Family Corvidae (Crows/Ravens)". BirdWeb.org. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
- ^ [1]
 |
This animal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 8 October 2008, at 20:02.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Omnivore".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.