Skip to main content

Herbivorous animals - Examples and curiosities

Herbivorous animals - Examples and curiosities

Do you want to know some examples of herbivorous animals? Know their classification? In this article of Animals and Pets Online we explain to you which are the herbivorous animals with examples and curiosities more frequent, their characteristics and some details about their behavior.

Remember that herbivorous animals or phytophagous animals they are those that feed primarily on plants , not only on grass, and are considered the "primary consumers." Find out all about herbivorous animals below:


How do you define a herbivorous animal?

A herbivorous animal would be one whose diet is exclusively vegetable , with plants and herbs being the main ingredients thereof.The fundamental component of vegetables is cellulose, a carbohydrate or very complex carbohydrate.This carbohydrate or carbohydrate is very difficult to digest , but nature, over millions of years of evolution, has developed different strategies for its use.

Herbivorous animals - Examples and curiosities


How is cellulose digested?

Herbivorous animals can take advantage of cellulose thanks to two actions or digestions: mechanical digestion , due to a special, flat-shaped denticion that allows plants to be crushed; and the other is due to the action of the microorganisms that they have in their digestive system.These microorganisms, through fermentation, are capable of transforming cellulose into simpler products, the main one being glucose.


What types of herbivorous animals exist?

There are two large groups: polygastric and monogastric .As the name implies, the first are those with several stomachs (in reality it is a single stomach with several compartments they communicate with each other).In some of the compartments there is a high concentration of microorganisms capable of fermenting cellulose.The teeth are also quite special, since they have a flat shape and in the upper jaw there are no incisors.An example of these would be those that have two fish, also known as ruminants.They also have the peculiarity of being able to regurgitate part of the gastric content to be able to chew or ruminate again.An example of these are cattle, goats and sheep .

Monogastrics are those that have only one stomach, so fermentations develop elsewhere in the digestive system.It would be the case of the horse and rabbit.In this case, there is a great development the blind person is between the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine, reaching considerable development.In monogastric herbivorous animals there is no possibility of rumination and, in the case of the equines , they only have one fish and have incisors in the upper jaw.

In the case of rabbits (lagomorphs), the products resulting from the fermentations of the blind are expelled through the feces.These "special" feces are known as cecotrophs and are ingested by the same rabbits to be able to take advantage of all the nutrients they contain.These, in turn, also have a very special dental development, with the presence of continuously growing teeth ( the lower and upper incisors).

Herbivorous animals - Examples and curiosities


What are the most important herbivores? How do they behave?

  • Although they have already been noted, the most important are the bovidos (cows), the sheep (sheep) and goats (goats).In the case of monogastrics, there are liquids, rodents and lagomorphs (rabbits).

Most of them like to live in a group or herd (they are gregarious) and are considered as prey.That is why the position of their eyes is very lateralized (so they can see who is chasing them without turning their heads) and, also, they tend to have a tendency to escape and scary.

Herbivorous animals - Examples and curiosities


List of herbivorous animals: monogastric

Within the monogastrics would be:

Equids

  • Horses
  • Asses
  • Zebras

Rodents

  • Hamsteres
  • Guinea pigs
  • Chinchilla
  • Capybaras
  • Beavers
  • Maras
  • Coipus
  • Bales
  • Porcupine
  • Squirrels

Other

  • Rhinos
  • Elephants
  • Tapires
  • Rabbits
Herbivorous animals - Examples and curiosities


List of herbivorous animals: polyigastric

Within the polyigastric would be:

Bovidos

  • Cows
  • Cebus
  • Yaks
  • Asian buffaloes
  • Nus
  • Brown buffaloes
  • Gazelles
  • Bisons

Sheep

  • Muflones
  • Sheep

Goats

  • Domestic goats
  • Hispanic goats
  • Mountain goats

Cervidos

  • Red deer
  • Gamos
  • Elk
  • Reindeer
  • Caribues

Camelids

  • Camels
  • Dromedaries
  • Llamas
  • Alpacas
  • Vicunas
Herbivorous animals - Examples and curiosities

If you want to read more articles similar to Herbivorous animals-Examples and curiosities , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...

How camels survive in the desert

Who has not seen a movie in which camels came across a long and endless desert? What you have never wondered is how camels survive in the desert considering they have to endure very extreme temperatures. These animals have adapted their morphology to be able to live in the habitats of which they are native.If you are curious about how it is possible for a camel to resist these journeys through the desert, do not forget to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Types of Camels Before commenting on how camels survive in the desert, we should start by differentiating the two types of camels that exist: the camel of Arabia or dromedary and the Bactrian camel or originating in Asia. The main difference between these two animals is that the camel has two humps while the dromedary has only one. However, this is not the only inequality.I recommend you read this article where we explain all the differences between a camel and a dromedary. Dromedary or camel according to ...

The most curious courtship rituals in animals

According to natural law, both animals and humans are in constant search for a couple with which to mate in order to reproduce.For this there is a whole process, first, there is the selection of the subject, then the courtship and finally the crossing of the goal. Love is everywhere, even in the animal kingdom. Animals kiss , hug, pamper, feel jealous and even quarrel.In the wild world there are all kinds of couples, depending on the species, there are stable unions, one-time meetings, seasonal or even links for a lifetime. One of the most key part in this process is sexual or bridal courtship.As nothing is free, Male animals should also strive to achieve the attention of their possible female, and for this, they perform multiple and curious rituals where they exhibit in all its galas, abilities and aptitudes.In Animals and Pets Online, as we love animals, we want to show you 5 of the most curious courtship rituals in animals . What is sexual or bridal courtship? Sexual cou...

My dog ​​is obsessed with food

Understanding the origin of dogs can be useful to understand a little better the obsession some have with food.How can we see in "Does the dog descend from the wolf?" From Animals and Pets Online, dogs come from domestication, by humans, of common ancestors with wolves. Most canids, such as wolves and dogs, live in organized societies with a very defined hierarchy, which does not always have to be static.Wolves hunt in groups and higher-ranking individuals eat first, leaving the worst parts of the prey for lesser wolves. This is a Competitive feeding , that is, they eat ravenously when there are other individuals present.This could help clarify the cause of our pet not allowing any opportunity to obtain food, and trying to eat as quickly as possible possible, to prevent someone from taking away the food. Some diseases can explain this obsession with food in dogs. Some examples s tend to eat more for poor production of substances necessary for the digestion of fo...

Commensalism - Definition, types and examples

In nature there are symbiotic relationships between the different organisms to achieve an end.There are relationships where one of the parties obtains very negative results, as in cases of predation or parasitism.In other relationships, sometimes, not even everyone involved knows that they are part of a relationship.This is the case of commensalism. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will discover the definition of commensalism, we will see what types exist and some examples of commensalism.Keep reading! What is commensalism? Biological commensalism is defined as the relationship between two organisms of different species, where one of them benefits and the other does not get anything , neither positive nor negative.of the relationship for one of them is neutral. Commensalism is a type of symbiosis that, unlike others, such as parasitism or predation, does not result in a negative ending for any of the parties involved On the other hand, the difference between mut...

My hedgehog does not eat - Causes and solutions

If you have a hedgehog as a pet you will know that Obesity is a problem that occurs frequently in these animals.A healthy and balanced diet will help prevent this problem.However, sometimes you may notice that your hedgehog stops eating or dramatically reduces its feeding.This may be caused for several diseases or for a bad diet. If you want to know the causes that cause your hedgehog to not eat , keep reading this article from Animals and Pets Online and discover it to solve the problem as soon as possible possible and offer you a full and happy life. Hedgehog feeding Hedgehogs are omnivorous animals in captivity, they feed on fruits, vegetables, but mainly insects and small animals.They are classified as insectivorous because their diet in the wild is based on insects and small vertebrates and invertebrates.However, as we have just said, in captivity your diet also includes fruits and vegetables that provide vitamins. In captivity you can feed with high quality cat feed ...

My papillero parakeet doesn't want to eat

There are many and very diverse birds that are currently used as companion animals , but without a doubt, one of the most endearing is the Australian parrot or parrot, since it is a pet with which we can establish a strong bond. Sometimes we decide to welcome in our home to a papillero parakeet, that is, a hand-reared parakeet with papilla , and we must be aware that this act implies a great responsibility, since feeding a parakeet in these circumstances can be complex, but since then it is absolutely necessary. In this Animals and Pets Online article we show you several tips if a papillero parakeet does not want to eat . Image of pets.iorigen.com Papillero parakeet feeding Sometimes we do not have enough information to know clearly how to feed a papillero parakeet and if your pet refuses to eat it is important to make sure that the food you provide and the way in which that you do it is the right one. To feed it, you need to buy a specific porridge for pistachios , it ...

Bach flowers for cats

In the last few years we hear frequent talk of Bach flowers, also applied to our Companion animals.There are more and more numerous cases treated with this therapy, as well as veterinary professionals who are trained in this discipline.In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will focus on cats to discover what Bach flowers are, which These are the benefits and uses they can have for our cats.If you've ever heard of these Bach flowers for cats , you're interested in reading! What are Bach flowers? The 38 extracts of flowers and plants discovered by the English doctor Edward Bach in the early twentieth century are called.This doctor chose plants that acted on different conditions that could experience the human beings, such as fear, sadness, anger or hyperactivity.Prepared these plants in the form of dilutions that conserved with alcohol in a dropper to facilitate their use.Various drops were administered directly several times a day or put in the water or even in t...

How often to cut a cat?

In the wild, the cat is able to maintain on its own the state of its ones, wearing them out and sharpening them on various surfaces, such as the tree trunk.However, when it remains inside the house, keep the ones in good condition It becomes difficult no matter if you have a scraper, so to avoid discomfort to the cat while walking, to avoid being lime in your furniture, cutting the ones becomes a necessity. The scrapers are essential because the act of plowing is instinctive in the cat.Not only arana and scratch to preserve its claws, but also a way to release stress .As if this were not enough, through the scratch the feline communicates with others of the same species, leaving marks that indicate its presence and define its territory. That is why it is best to place several scrapers in different parts of the house, because if you do not have it Your cat will choose to rip everything he finds, and if you reprimand him for this and prevent him from releasing his instinct, i...

Flying mammals - Examples, characteristics and images

Usually, when we think of flying animals the first thing that comes to us head are images of birds.But in the animal kingdom there are many other flying animals, from insects to mammals.It is true that some of these animals do not fly, only plan or have body structures that allow them to jump from great heights without damaging when they arrive to the ground. Even so, there are flying mammals that really have the ability to fly, not just plan, like bats.In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will show you the curious characteristics of flying mammals.list with photos of the most representative species. Characteristics of flying mammals At a glance, the wings of a bird and a bat can look very different.The birds have wings covered with feathers and bats with hair but, nevertheless, observing their structure we will see that they have the same bones : humero, radio, cubito, carpales, metacarpal and phalanges. In birds, some of the bones corresponding to the wrist and hand...