The insectivorous animals or entomofagos base their feeding, or part of it, on the consumption of insects, that is, small invertebrates.There is a great variety of animals that eat insects, from amphibians to mammals, obtaining from them an important source of protein of animal origin.
In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will talk in detail about which are the animals that eat insects and we will show you 15 examples, talking about their morphology or curiosities among others.Continue reading!
What are the names of animals that eat insects?
As we have advanced in the introduction, animals that eat insects are called insectivoros or entomofagos .Insects, as living beings, represent a source of protein, so you might ask: are animals that eat insects carnivorous? Yes, this is a valid consideration, although it is advisable to name them with the words that we have already mentioned.
There are multiple species that include insects in their diet, be it the basis of food, a supplement or exclusive food in the breeding season .In that sense, they constitute an important link in the development of ecosystems, being an abundant source of protein.
It is possible to find animals that eat insects among which we highlight mammals, amphibians, birds, arachnids, reptiles and other insects .Due to this, each species has developed different mechanisms that allow it to catch these small prey.For example, they have a beak adapted to extract insects from the earth or the trunk of trees.Amphibians, meanwhile, have sticky tongues that facilitate the task of hunting them and the entomophagous insects themselves have different methods to catch their counterparts.animal world, even those of the same species.
If you are interested in learning about curiosities about these entomophageal species, we present the following examples of animals that eat insects.
1.Anteater
Anteaters are called several species belonging to the suborder of the vermilingu .They are characterized by measuring 2 meters, including the length of the tail, and weighing 40 kilos.The fur is thick, stiff and varies in gray, sand and black colors.
Anteaters feed on ants and termites .To do this, they have a long cylindrical tongue that they use to introduce it in the hiding places of these insects.Ants and termites are attached to the tongue and in this way the bear can eat them.
2.Armadillo
Armadillos belong to the Dasypodidae family and are other animals that eat insects.They are placental mammals that are distinguished by a shell formed by juxtaposed plates and a long and almost bald tail, similar to that of the Rats: Armadillos feed on insects, but this is not the only element of their idea, since it is among the animals that eat insects and plants , in addition to consuming carrona.
3.Star nose nose
The star-nosed mole ( Condylura cristata ) is a mammal that inhabits North America.Its main characteristic is the snout, formed by 22 tentacles which constitute the most important "vision" body of the mole, since it uses them to guide itself in the darkness of the tunnels it inhabits.This species feeds on insects, worms, mollusks , since apart from finding to its prey on the ground, it is also a swimmer.
4.Gecos
The geckos, also called geckos, are sauropsids with scales that inhabit warm regions around the world.They are also animals that eat insects.They have a large-eyed body, flattened head.and multiple colors which vary depending on the area in which they live.The diet of the species is very varied: it feeds on insects, centipedes, arthropods and arachnids, but it is also capable of hunting small birds and lizards, in addition of resorting to cannibalism if food is scarce.
5.Common salamander
The common salamanquesa ( Tarentola mauritanica ) is a reptile that inhabits the cities surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.They are characterized by measuring around 15 centimeters and present easy-to-camouflage colors, such as gray, sand and light brown, in addition to having conical lumps that protrude from the body.It is an animal of nocturnal habits that consumes all types of insects.However, times of scarcity of food, they are able to devour smaller salamanquesas and other lizards.
6.Common Owl
The Athene noctua or common owl is a bird of prey from Europe and Africa.It reaches only 25 centimeters and has a brown or brown plumage with areas White.In ancient times, it was the symbol of the Greek goddess Athena, although it is often confused with the owl.The owls feed on large-sized insects, but they also hunt rodents, worms and smaller birds.
7.Indiana Murcielago
The Indiana bat ( Myotis sodalis ) is a species found only in some states of North America.It reaches up to 60 millimeters and weighs between 5 and 11 grams .It has a short and fluffy fur in grayish brown for the spine, but black on the back.It is a nocturnal animal that feeds on multiple insects, its favorites being the moths, beetles and other invertebrates flying.The Indiana bat escaped consuming half its weight every night.
8.Common Toad
The Bufo bufo or common toad is an anuran amphibian that inhabits swamps, streams and other wet habitats in Europe and North Asia.Habits are nocturnal and is characterized by presenting an appearance that inspired fear in the past when considered a malefic presence: dark skin, reddish eyes and a multitude of warts or bulges that protrude from the body.The common toad is another of the animals that eat insects , however, is also capable of hunting mammals small , like rodents.
9.Mantis
The praying mantis ( Praying mantis ) is an insect that is distributed in Asia, Europe, Africa and some areas of North America.It measures around 5 centimeters and is distinguished by having large eyes and two elongated front legs that resemble blades.Generally, the mantis feeds on other insects, but it can also hunt frogs, small birds, lizards and rodents. devour the male after the mating ritual.
10.Ladybug
There are more than 4,500 types of ladybugs, name under which are included several species of coleoptero insects that are distributed throughout the world.They present different colorations, the most common being a combination of red with black spots, however, it is also possible to find species with yellow, orange and even white wings.The ladybird is one of the animals that eat insects, such as aphids, mealybugs, flycatchers Because of this, it is used as a biological pest control.
11.Lunar Rat
Another example of animals that eat insects in the lunar rat ( Echinosorex gymnura ) is a rodent that measures up to 460 millimeters and has a white fur or black.The species has a marked sexual dimorphism, since females are larger than males.The diet of the lunar rat is diverse, it feeds on both insects and fruit and vertebrates aquatic , like fish.
Image: www.earth.com
12.Tenrec palmipedo
The tenrec palmipedo ( Limnogale mergulus ) is a mammal that lives in aquatic environments on the island of Madagascar.It measures around 40 centimeters and weighs up to 60 grams.It is considered a vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List, as it is threatened by the effect of agriculture on its habitat, in addition to the deterioration of the aquatic environment as a result of fishing.This mammals feed insects , but also ingests river crabs .
13.Gray Flycatcher
The gray flycatcher ( Muscicapa striata ) is a songbird that inhabits the cities and meadows of Europe and Africa.only 25 centimeters high and is characterized by a light brown plumage with a white abdomen.It is a migratory bird that nests between May and August.The flycatcher is included among the animals that eat insects and plants .Their diet consists mainly of coleopteros and dipteros, also consumes elderberries.
14.Libelula
Several species of paleopteros insects are included under the name of dragonflies, which means that they are not able to collect their wings around the abdomen.Besides this, they have an elongated body and thin, with multifaceted eyes that perceive what happens in a 360 degree range.Dragonflies are insects that feed on other insects.The basis of their diet is the consumption of flies, moths and butterflies .
15.Falangero of sugar
The last of the animals that eat insects that we are going to show you is the sugar phalanxer ( Petaurus breviceps ), a nocturnal mammal that inhabits the forests of Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia and Tasmania.It is characterized by measuring only 20 centimeters and weighing between 130 and 160 grams.It is an omnivorous animal that feeds on nectar, insects, birds and small mammals .
Currently some people wonder if it is correct to have a sugar petaur as a pet, however, from Animals and Pets Online we warn about it, because should not be considered a domestic animal in any case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Animals that eat insects-Examples and curiosities , we recommend that you enter our section of Curiosities of the animal world.
Bi Bliography
- Kerr Casper, Julie (2007)."6.The importance of animals". Animals: Creatures That Roam the Planet .Infobase Publishing.
- Rodriguez-Noriega, Lucia (2006)."Trying to undermine a false belief: the identity of the bird of Athena". Studium 12: 103-111.
- Fox, D.(1999)."Echinosorex gymnura". Animal Diversity Web .University of Michigan.Consultation: https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Echinosorex_gymnura.html
- "Web-footed Tenrec". Red List of IUCN .Consultation: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11979/97189690
- Wang, Jane (2008 )."Dragonfly flight". Physics Today 61 (10).Consultation: http://dragonfly.tam.cornell.edu/publications/2008_Dragonfly_flight.pdf
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