Amazing Facts About Eating Habits And Weird Food Habits Of Some Animals

Food is a necessity for every living organism, and different organisms consume different types of food as per their availability and biological needs. Human beings residing in different areas have different diets, which implies that every human being cannot consume the same food. Similarly, all animals require food, but different animals have different diets.

This Story also Contains

1. Classification of Animals Based On Food Habits
2. Feeding Habits
3. How Do Animals Obtain Their Food?
4. Weird Food Habits of Some Animals

Food is consumed not only for one's own survival but also to regulate the energy flow in the ecosystem. Food habits are variably affected by the habitat of the animals and changes in the food chain of the ecosystem. Let us dive into further details about the food habits of animals.

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Classification of Animals Based On Food Habits

Broadly, animals are generally classified into three classes: herbivores (animals like cows that consume plants), carnivores (animals like tigers that consume meat), and omnivores (animals like cats that consume both meat and plants).

Apart from these three major classes, there are certain animals that fall under the category of scavengers, like vultures (animals that consume dead and decayed components).

The classification is primarily based on the type of biological system present in animals. Carnivores have a simpler digestive system and hence eat flesh, which is comparatively easier to digest than the cellulose present in plants. For this very reason, herbivores have a special digestive system that enables them to process a variety of plants.

Herbivores: These animals only rely on plants and have strong molar teeth to break down food and ease the digestion process.

Carnivores: These are meat-eaters or flesh-eating animals like bears, rats, and more that have pointed canines to kill the prey and tear the flesh properly.

Omnivores: These are opportunistic animals that juggle between plant and flesh food depending on availability. Cats and dogs are examples, and such animals have a combination of teeth to digest both types of food.

Scavengers: These animals have a special immune system that protects them from the side effects that can usually arise from consuming dead carcasses.

Feeding Habits

Since every animal is different, they have different modes of food consumption. The animals differ in their height, weight, and body composition, so they have varied modes of food consumption.

• Small animals like rats and squirrels hold nuts and grains between their forelegs and gnaw the food with their sharp-cutting teeth.

• Animals like snakes have no teeth, so they swallow their food.

• Insects like butterflies and mosquitoes have long feeding tubes through which they suck nectar and blood, respectively.

• Frogs, cats, dogs, and more pick up their food through their tongues.

• Some animals, like giraffes, adopted long necks over time to reach out for the leaves of taller trees. Elephants also use their trunks to consume food and water.

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How Do Animals Obtain Their Food?

Animals largely rely on their environment for food. Smaller animals are eaten by larger animals, and all of them are eaten by scavengers and microbes when they are dead. Herbivores rely on plants that are readily available in their environment. Herbivores can eat most plants, but they can clearly distinguish between harmful and beneficial ones.

Carnivores like crocodiles and tigers rely on smaller animals present in their surroundings, like insects, rats, deer, and more.

The animals obtain their food in a proper chain, forming the food chain. Plants are eaten by herbivores, which are then consumed by carnivores. Small carnivores are eaten by larger ones or even omnivores. When these animals die, they are decomposed by the scavengers so that the nutrients are returned to the soil.

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Weird Food Habits of Some Animals

Can you believe me if I tell you that animals also have weird food habits? Some of these weird habits can blow your mind. Let us read these:

• The koala is a cute little animal, but it can gulp down many pounds of eucalyptus leaves in a single day. They are very particular about eating these leaves.

• Penguins travel an average of 40 kilometres a day to fill their stomachs completely. Sometimes, they can even travel up to 100 kilometres a day to satisfy their hunger.

• Chimpanzees are intelligent species because they can efficiently take good care of their health. They consume the leaves of certain plants in a combination that helps them relieve digestive problems.

• Hyenas are extremely flexible, as they can consume even the bones, hair, and nails of animals to satisfy their hunger. They even snatch food from larger animals like lions when the opportunity kicks in.

• Some herbivores, like buffalo and cows, have multiple-chambered stomachs. Yes, that’s correct! So, they feed continuously to fill their stomachs first. Then they sit and chew the food by bringing it back into their mouth. This is the reason you might have seen them chewing food continuously while sitting, though they were not consuming anything at that moment.

• Another weird eating habit is that of an egg-eating snake. These animals eat eggs bigger than their heads and wait for the eggs to crack. After that, they spit off the shells. Unbelievable!

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