Types of Animals According to Diet

Animals are a living organism that typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli (Animal, n.d.). Animals typically move, in one way or another and to feed on other living organisms (Animal, n.d.). In general, animal can be classified according to the type of food they eat, which is; carnivores, herbivores and omnivores (refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).

The first type of animal according to the diet is a carnivore. Carnivores’ diets typically span the range of prey species they are able to kill and tend to be nested within one another (Justina, Kent, Robert, & Joel, 2005). Carnivore is an animal that gets food from killing and eating other animals, also known as meat eater (Carnivore, n.d.). Carnivores live in virtually every habitat on earth such as short grassland, sparse woodland, desert, thick tropical forest, oceanic waters and arctic icecap (David & Roland, 2005). Carnivores are sub-divided into two groups: land carnivore and aquatic carnivore. The nine land families;Canidae, Felidae, Ursidea, Procyonidae, Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Herpestidae, Viverridae, and Hyaenidae and three aquatic families; Otariidae, Phocidae and Odobenidae (Carnivore, n.d.).

Land carnivores either walk on the soles and heels of their feet or on their toes. Dog, wolves, bears, raccoons and civets are examples of land carnivore. A combination of strong bones in the feet and bendable wrists allow these animals to climb, run, jump, and overcome their prey. On the other hand, aquatic carnivores including eared seals, true seals, and walruses have a torpedo-shaped body that allows for easy movement through the water. The thick layer of blubber, or fat under their skin, not only provides insulation but ...

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