What is an omnivore?
A lot of people might be familiar with this term, but most do not know what it means.
An omnivore is an animal that eats food from plant and animal origin.
These animals are also known as heterotrophs.
Most domesticated animals fall under this category, including dogs and cats.
Humans are also omnivores, although some human cultures do not eat meat.
These vegetarians typically get their protein from plant products, such as soybeans and bread made with yeast.
While many animals are considered omnivorous, there are others that can only survive on one of these two sources of food.
A common misconception is that pigs only eat the flesh of other animals and nothing else.
This is not entirely true as they can also digest plant-based foods such as nuts and fruits.
How Are Omnivores Different?
Omnivores are different from carnivores, which eat only meat, and herbivores, which eat only plants.
There are some animals that fall under both these categories, such as bears.
They typically eat meat and plants.
However, it varies with the type of bear and diet that they are fed as cubs.
This means that if a bear is raised on a farm and only eats vegetables, then it can be considered an herbivore even though its carnivorous nature still exists.
Over time, animals that eat plants and meat have evolved to become omnivores because it increased their chances of survival.
This is due to the fact that they would be able to eat a wider variety of foods and not become extinct.
The ability for animals to become omnivorous also means that humans may one day need to revamp how they raise livestock if resources such as meat and plants are exhausted.
While this has not become an issue yet, it may in the near future.
You can also ask a zoologist or someone who works with animals about the topic if you want a first-person explanation to better understand all about omnivores.
