Examples Of Carnivores – Carnivorous Animals Photos & Fascinating Details
Examples of carnivores embody land mammals such because the tiger, lion, wolf, wolverine and African wild canine; marine mammals corresponding to seals and the orca; birds corresponding to eagles, owls and shrikes; reptiles corresponding to snakes and crocodiles; and ocean animals corresponding to sharks and squid.
This web page incorporates examples of carnivores, together with these and lots of extra carnivorous species…
Use the index under to search out info on a selected animal, or proceed scrolling to browse all the animals on the record and to search out out extra about carnivores.
Carnivores Examples
What Is A Carnivore?
A carnivore is a meat-eater – a species that obtains the diet it wants from animals, slightly than plant matter.
Many carnivores are hunters, geared up with diversifications corresponding to tooth, claws, ahead going through eyes and binocular imaginative and prescient, energy, velocity and stealth.
Some carnivores are scavengers, feeding on carrion, together with the stays of different carnivores’ kills. Scavengers have diversifications corresponding to acute senses for finding meals, and robust claws, tooth or payments for breaking meals aside.
A carnivore with no pure predators of its personal is called an apex predator, or prime predator.
Examples of apex predators embody the tiger, lion, orca and nice white shark. Different carnivores, such because the smaller wild cats, most seals and lots of small sharks, regardless of being carnivores, should be prey for different animals.
Carnivore Vs Carnivoran
A carnivore is any meat-eater; a carnivoran is a member of a selected group of animals: the mammalian order Carnivora.
Carnivora is a bunch of mammals that features households corresponding to Felidae (the cat household), Canidae (the canine household) and Ursidae (the bear household). Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and the walrus) are a department of carnivorans tailored to life within the sea.
All carnivorans (together with pinnipeds) share a standard, carnivorous ancestor. Whereas most residing carnivorans are carnivores (e.g. all cats and pinnipeds), some carnivorans are omnivorous (i.e. most bears and badgers). The large panda, regardless of being a carnivoran, is sort of completely herbivorous.
Carnivorous Animals Listing
African Wild Canine
- Scientific title: Lycaon pictus
- Kind of animal: Mammal
- Household: Canidae (the canine household)
- The place discovered: Africa
- Conservation standing: Endangered
The African wild canine, which is often known as each the African searching canine and the African painted canine, is a member of the canine household present in sub-Saharan Africa.
This massive and distinctively-colored wild canine lives in scattered colonies all through sub-Saharan Africa. The species is uncommon and rarely seen. An endangered species, its habitat has grow to be extremely fragmented attributable to human exercise.
The African wild canine lives in packs that consist of seven to fifteen people on common, though packs containing as much as 40 African wild canine have been recorded. Unusually amongst animals that stay in teams, it’s the males that stick with the pack and the females that disperse to affix different packs.
The pack hunts utilizing teamwork, pursuing its prey–sometimes medium-sized antelopes–till the sufferer tires and may be overcome.
Antelope species hunted by the African wild canine embody the impala, Thompson’s gazelle, better kudu and blue wildebeest.
Regardless of the African wild canine’s prey sometimes being at the least twice its dimension, the canine is a highly-efficient hunter, with successful price increased than that of each lions and hyenas.
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American Bullfrog
- Scientific title: Lithobates catesbeianus
- Kind of animal: Amphibian
- Household: Ranidae
- Conservation standing: Least Concern
The American bullfrog is a big frog present in lakes, ponds and different wetland habitats all through a lot of North America. In the course of the mating season, male bull frogs make a bull-like bellow, from which the species will get its title.
Like most frogs, the American bullfrog is carnivorous. The amphibian preys on all kinds of invertebrates and vertebrates, and isn’t a fussy eater, devouring any animal it might slot in its mouth.
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Axolotl
- Scientific Title: Ambystoma mexicanum
- Kind of Animal: Amphibian
- Household: Ambystomatidae
- The place Discovered: North America
- Conservation Standing: Critically Endangered
The axolotl is a critically endangered salamander present in solely a small variety of canals and lakes in Mexico Metropolis.
The axolotl is of nice curiosity to scientists attributable to its capability to regenerate not solely misplaced limbs, but in addition elements of the attention, coronary heart and mind. The species can be saved as a pet.
The axolotl differs from many amphibians in that it doesn’t bear metamorphosis. At the same time as an grownup, the axolotl stays fully-aquatic, respiratory with gills slightly than with lungs.
Salamanders are members of the amphibian order Urodela. Like all salamanders, the axolotl is a carnivore. It eats all kinds of invertebrates and small fish, finding its prey by odor and sucking the meals into its mouth with a sudden gulping movement.
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Crocodiles
- Kind of animal: Reptile
- Household: Crocodylidae
- The place discovered: Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Australia
Crocodiles are giant, semi-aquatic reptiles belonging to the household Crocodylidae. Their closest family are alligators, caimans and gharials; all belong to the reptilian order Crocodilia and collectively are often known as “crocodilians”.
All 18 residing crocodile species, along with the opposite crocodilians, are carnivorous.
Crocodiles sometimes hunt by permitting their prey to attract close to earlier than launching themselves forwards, gripping their prey of their extremely highly effective jaws and pulling it backwards into the water. Crocodiles swallow stones, which can assist the digestive course of.
Surprisingly, some crocodiles have been recorded consuming fruit.
The biggest crocodile species is the saltwater crocodile, which may attain lengths in extra of 6 m / 20 ft; the smallest is the 1.5 m / 5 ft. African dwarf crocodile.
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Eagle
- Kind of animal: Chook
- Household: Accipitridae
- The place discovered: All continents besides Antarctica
Eagles are giant birds of prey belonging to the household Accipitridae, which can be residence to different predatory birds corresponding to hawks, kites, harriers and Previous World vultures.
Two of the most important eagle teams are the “true eagles” of genus Aquila, and the “sea eagles” of genus Haliaeetus.
Examples of true eagles embody the golden eagle and the wedge-tailed eagle; examples of sea eagles embody the bald eagle and the white-tailed eagle.
Traits of eagles embody giant dimension, giant hooked invoice, highly effective talons, glorious imaginative and prescient and the power to fly (and dive) at excessive velocity. These diversifications assist to make eagles fearsome predators, able to taking prey a number of occasions bigger than themselves.
An eagle’s nest is called an eyrie.
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Hellbender
- Scientific Title: Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
- Kind of Animal: Amphibian
- Household: Cryptobranchidae
- The place Discovered: North America
- Conservation Standing: Susceptible
The hellbender is an amphibian that lives in fast-flowing rivers and streams within the japanese United States.
Regardless of being the smallest member of the enormous salamander household, Cryptobranchidae, the hellbender is the most important amphibian present in North America, reaching a size of as much as 74 cm / 29 in. (The opposite large salamanders are present in Asia.)
Not like many amphibians, which may stay away from water after present process metamorphosis, the hellbender stays absolutely aquatic even in maturity.
The folds of pores and skin that run alongside the edges of the hellbender’s physique are in a position to take up oxygen from the water. Many of the oxygen required by the amphibian is obtained by way of the wrinkled frills of pores and skin operating alongside the edges of its physique.
Like all salamanders (and most amphibians), the hellbender is a carnivore. It preys primarily on crayfish, however will take quite a few different forms of each invertebrate and vertebrate prey, together with different salamanders.
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Komodo Dragon
- Scientific title: Varanus komodoensis
- Kind of animal: Reptile
- Household: Varanidae
- The place discovered: Asia
- Conservation standing: Endangered
The Komodo dragon is the world’s largest lizard, reaching lengths of over 3 m / 9.8 ft and weights of round 165 kg / 364 lbs. This fearsome meat-eater is discovered not simply on the Indonesian island of Komodo (from which it will get its title), but in addition two different, neighboring, islands.
A carnivore, the Komodo dragon feeds primarily on carrion, however may also hunt its personal prey, together with animals a lot bigger than itself. Prey focused by the lizard ranges from birds to giant animals corresponding to wild pigs and water buffalo.
When searching, the Komodo dragon makes use of an ambush technique, ready for an animal to return shut earlier than pouncing, then following the prey till it succumbs both from blood loss because of the lizard’s anti-clotting venom, or an infection brought on by micro organism within the Komodo dragon’s saliva.
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Lion
- Scientific title: Panthera leo
- Kind of animal: Mammal
- Household: Felidae
- The place discovered: Africa, Asia
- Conservation standing: Susceptible
The lion is the second-largest member of the cat household; solely the tiger is bigger. The one huge cat that’s not solitary, the lion lives in teams known as “prides”.
As a result of quantity of power that’s spent searching and digesting giant prey, a lion could spend 20 to 21 hours a day sleeping.
The lion, like all cats, is an obligate carnivore – it might solely get the vitamins it wants from flesh.
The lion’s most well-liked prey gadgets are medium sized ungulates (hoofed animals), however it’ll additionally eat carrion and steal meals caught by different carnivores, corresponding to hyenas and leopards.
Many of the world’s lions stay in Africa, however there’s a small inhabitants of round 650 lions that stay in a small space in India’s Gir Forest. These Asiatic lions are barely smaller than their African cousins.
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Mongoose
- Kind of animal: Mammal
- Household: Herpestidae
- The place discovered: Europe, Africa, Asia
Mongooses are small carnivorans (members of the order Carnivora) with lengthy our bodies, lengthy tails and brief legs. The 29 species of mongoose make up the household Herpestidae.
Mongooses are present in Africa and Eurasia. They’re immune to the venom produced by some snakes.
Mongooses are primarily carnivorous, preying on quite a lot of animals, together with small mammals, reptiles and bugs.
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Octopus
- Kind of animal: Mollusk
- Order: Octopoda
- The place discovered: Oceans Worldwide
Octopuses are soft-bodied marine mollusks with eight legs. The 310 species of octopus (supply) make up the order Octopoda, which is an element of a bigger group of mollusks, the category Cephalopoda. Different cephalopods embody squid, cuttlefish and nautiloids.
Octopuses prey on quite a lot of animals, however crucial prey for a lot of species are bivalves – mollusks with two-part shells, and crustaceans corresponding to crabs and crayfish.
Octopuses both prize open the shells of their shellfish prey, or create small holes within the shells by which they inject venom.
Octopuses are extremely smart, with a brain-to-body dimension ratio increased than every other invertebrate. Species such because the widespread octopus are in a position to resolve puzzles, and within the wild are identified to steal prey from lobster pots.
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Orca
- Scientific title: Orcinus orca
- Kind of animal: Mammal
- Household: Delphinidae
- The place discovered: Oceans worldwide
- Conservation standing: Information Poor
The orca, or killer whale, is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin household, Delphinidae. Attributable to its giant dimension and black and white markings, the orca is without doubt one of the most recognizable cetaceans. (The cetaceans are a bunch of fully-aquatic marine mammals that features whales, dolphins and porpoises.)
The killer whale is probably the most widely-distributed cetacean, and is present in all the world’s oceans.
Like all dolphins, the orca belongs to a bunch of cetaceans often known as “toothed whales”. All toothed whales are carnivores.
The orca, attributable to its dimension, energy, and intelligence, is an apex predator. It hunts all kinds of animals, together with fish and marine mammals corresponding to seals and whales.
Pods of killer whales usually use teamwork to seize and overcome their prey.
The orca has good eyesight however depends totally on echolocation when searching. It’s an environment friendly predator with a excessive success price, consuming round 136 kg / 300 lbs. of meals per day.
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Owls
- Kind of animal: Chook
- Order: Strigiformes
- The place discovered: All continents besides Antarctica
Owls are predatory birds within the order Strigiformes. They’re highly-distinctive birds, with most owls having rounded faces, giant eyes, and an upright stance. Most owls are nocturnal.
239 residing owl species are presently acknowledged. (supply)
An owl’s giant eyes present glorious night-time imaginative and prescient, however many owls find prey by sound, slightly than by sight.
An owl’s ears are positioned asymmetrically, that means that sound reaches every ear at barely completely different occasions. This allows owls to precisely choose from which path a sound is coming.
Owls sometimes hunt small rodents, however relying on dimension and species additionally goal bugs, bigger mammals, birds and fish.
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Polar Bear
- Scientific title: Ursus maritimus
- Kind of animal: Mammal
- Household: Ursidae
- The place discovered: North America, Europe, Asia
- Conservation standing: Susceptible
Whereas most bears are omnivorous, the polar bear’s weight loss plan consists primarily of meat.
The distinctive white bear is the largest of the eight residing bear species, and a prime predator within the Arctic area by which it’s discovered.
Seals, specifically the ringed seal, kind the majority of the polar bear’s weight loss plan. Different seal species generally focused by the bear embody the bearded, harp, harbor and hooded seal.
The polar bear will usually lie in anticipate a number of hours by a seal respiratory gap, utilizing its glorious sense of odor to detect each the placement of a gap, and the breath of a seal when it emerges from the water.
The polar bear additionally stalks prey, utilizing stealth to slowly strategy a resting seal earlier than pouncing.
The stays of a polar bear kill are an essential supply of meals for different Arctic meat-eaters, together with the Arctic fox.
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Scorpions
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Order: Scorpiones
Scorpions are arachnids within the order Scorpiones. Scorpions have eight legs, and may be differentiated from different arachnids by their pedipalps, which take the type of giant pincers, and by their prolonged tails, that are geared up with a venomous stinger.
Bugs kind the majority of the weight loss plan of most scorpions. Small reptiles and mammals may be taken. Scorpions can sense the vibrations produced by potential prey with highly-sensitive hairs on their our bodies. Scorpions usually solely sting bigger prey animals, their pincers being adequate to beat smaller species.
Out of the 2,684 presently acknowledged scorpion species (supply), solely a really small proportion are able to inflicting a sting deadly to a wholesome grownup human. Even a sting from a deathstalker scorpion – some of the harmful scorpion species – isn’t deadly, particularly if medical remedy is on the market.
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Sea Stars / Starfish
- Kind of animal: Echinoderm
- Class: Asteroidea
- The place discovered: Oceans worldwide
Sea stars, often known as starfish, are a bunch of marine invertebrates that make up the category Asteroidea. (Regardless of being often known as “starfish”, sea stars are usually not fish!)
Most sea stars have 5 arms. On the finish of every arm is a bunch of light-sensitive “eye” cells. Sea stars hunt by contact and odor. They prey on animals corresponding to sponges and small mollusks.
Some sea stars have specialised diets; the crown-of-thorns starfish is infamous for focusing on corals. Outbreaks of this massive starfish can decimate coral reefs.
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Seals
- Kind of animal: Mammal
- Clade: Pinnipedia
- The place discovered: Principally temperate and polar waters
Seals, along with sea lions and the walrus, make up group of marine mammals often known as Pinnipeds.
There are two seal households: Otariidae, the “eared seal” household, is residence to sea lions and fur seals; Phocidae, the “earless seal” household, is residence to the “true seals”.
Examples of eared seals embody the California sea lion (Zalophus californius), and the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus).
Examples of earless seals embody the ringed seal, (Pusa hispida), and the southern elephant seal, (Mirounga leonina), which is each the world’s largest seal, and the world’s largest carnivoran. (Notice: carnivorans are not the identical as carnivores – see the word on the prime of the web page.)
The “true seals” are extra streamlined, and able to swimming extra effectively, than their eared cousins. Nevertheless, they’re very clumsy on land, being unable to stroll with their hind flippers.
Eared seals are extraordinarily quick and maneuverable within the water, and higher in a position to transfer round on land (though nonetheless clumsy), with the ability to use each their fore and hind flippers to maneuver.
Seals eat all kinds of sea animals, with fish, cephalopods and crustaceans being the marine mammals’ foremost prey.
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Sharks
- Kind of animal: Fish
- Class: Chondrichthyes
- The place discovered: Oceans Worldwide
Practically all the 500-plus shark species are carnivores.
Sharks are a few of the best-known predators of the oceans (solely a handful of shark species, together with the river sharks, are present in freshwater habitats).
Species such because the nice white shark, tiger shark and bull shark are identified to assault people (though such assaults are uncommon).
Sharks are quick, silent and highly effective predators. Their mouths are lined with a number of rows of tooth, that are regularly changed by the fish’s lifetime, with new tooth being pushed forwards on a “conveyor belt” system.
Sharks have a “sixth sense” within the type of tons of of electroreceptive organs known as ampullae of Lorenzini embedded of their pores and skin. Utilizing these, a shark can sense {the electrical} fields produced by the muscle tissues of potential prey.
Whereas the skeletons of most fish are fabricated from bone, these of sharks are fabricated from cartilage, a troublesome, but versatile pure substance. Sharks, together with rays and skates, belong to a bunch of fish often known as “cartilaginous fish” on behalf of their cartilage skeletons.
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Shrikes
- Kind of animal: Chook
- Household: Laniidae
- The place discovered: Europe, Asia, North America, Africa
The order Passeriformes is a big group of birds which incorporates teams corresponding to crows, wrens, thrushes and finches. Passerines are often known as “perching birds” or “tune birds”.
Whereas most passerines are omnivores, shrikes, which make up the household Laniidae, are carnivores.
Shrikes are sometimes thrush-sized birds with highly effective, hooked payments that replicate their carnivorous life-style.
Shrikes feed on bugs and small vertebrates. The carnivorous birds usually impale their prey on thorns (or barbed wire) for later consumption. Attributable to this behavior, shrikes are sometimes often known as “butcherbirds”.
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Snakes
- Kind of animal: Reptile
- Order: Squamata
- The place discovered: All continents besides Antarctica
Snakes are reptiles that belong, together with lizards, within the order Squamata. Though snakes lack limbs, their ancestors have been limbed lizards. Not like (most) lizards, snakes lack eyelids and subsequently can’t blink.
There are simply over 4,000 residing snake species. (supply)
All snakes are carnivorous. Most are generalist carnivores, preying on quite a lot of animals, whereas others are extra specialised; the king cobra preys primarily on different snakes.
Snakes have quite a few diversifications for searching, together with a versatile decrease jaw that enables prey gadgets to be swallowed entire (snakes can’t break their meals up into smaller items) and the power to find prey by “tasting” the air with their delicate forked tongues.
Many snakes are venomous, whereas some snakes overcome their prey by constriction, wrapping their our bodies round their prey and regularly tightening their grasp.
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Spiders
Spiders are arachnids with eight legs, two-part our bodies, silk-producing spinnerets on the stomach, and hole fangs often known as “chelicerae” with which the spider injects venom into its prey.
There are 50,783 spider species presently listed within the World Spider Catalog, a database of spider species. (supply)
Practically all spiders are carnivores; solely a handful of species are identified to eat a big quantity of plant materials.
Spiders make use of a variety of searching methods. Orb-weaver spiders corresponding to North America’s yellow backyard spider and the European backyard spider spin intricate flat webs to seize insect prey. Giant species corresponding to South America’s Goliath birdeater and Asia’s large huntsman actively hunt their prey. Australian funnel net spiders such because the Sydney funnel-web spider construct burrows from which they ambush their prey.
Though the overwhelming majority of world’s spiders are innocent to people, plenty of species are in a position to inflict painful, and in some circumstances, life-threatening, bites.
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Squid
- Kind of animal: Mollusk
- Class: Cephalopoda
Squid are cephalopod mollusks which, like cuttlefish, have eight legs and two tentacles. Not like cuttlefish, squid lack a cuttlebone. As an alternative, their our bodies include a tough, feather-shaped formed construction known as a pen.
Squid are predatory animals, searching their prey by sight and utilizing jet propulsion to journey at excessive velocity by the water. Their prey consists of fish, crustaceans and different cephalopods, together with different squid (generally of the identical species).
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Tasmanian Satan
- Scientific title: Sarcophilus harrisii
- Kind of animal: Mammal
- The place discovered: Australia
- Conservation standing: Endangered
The Tasmanian satan is the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. It’s a member of the household Dasyuridae, which can be residence to quolls and different primarily carnivorous / insectivorous marsupials.
Most wild Tasmanian devils are discovered on the Australian island state of Tasmania. A small quantity have been reintroduced onto the Australian mainland.
The Tasmanian satan will get its title for its terrifying night-time screeches and aggressive feeding habits.
The Tasmanian satan is endangered because of the unfold of Satan Facial Tumor Illness (DFTD), which has brought about a big decline within the species’ inhabitants.
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Tiger
- Scientific Title: Panthera tigris
- Kind Of Animal: Mammal
- Household: Felidae
- The place Discovered: Asia
- Conservation Standing: Endangered
The tiger is the world’s largest species of cat. With its distinctive orange coat and black stripes, additionally it is one of many world’s most recognizable animals.
Regardless of being discovered over a spread stretching from Siberia to India, the tiger is extraordinarily uncommon. There are regarded as fewer than 4,000 tigers left within the wild. Sadly, the principle risk to the tiger is unlawful poaching.
The tiger is an apex predator wherever it’s discovered. This highly effective carnivore is able to bringing down prey as giant as a buffalo or gaur (Indian bison).
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Wolf
- Scientific Title: Canis lupus
- Kind of Animal: Mammal
- Household: Canidae
- Conservation Standing: Least Concern
The wolf, or grey wolf to offer the species its full title, is the largest member of the canine household, Canidae (though some home canine breeds are bigger).
Thirty-seven subspecies (“varieties”) of wolf are presently listed within the Mammal Species of the World database. (supply)
A extremely social animal, the wolf lives in a household group often known as a “pack”. All members of the pack shield and take care of the pups.
A carnivore, the wolf hunts each alone and in packs. It could possibly run at speeds of 61.2 km / 38 miles an hour in brief bursts whereas chasing prey. It’s opportunistic and can feed on carrion when given the possibility.
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Wolverine
- Scientific title: Canis lupus
- Kind of animal: Mammal
- Household: Mustelidae
- The place discovered: North America, Europe, Asia
- Conservation standing: Susceptible
The wolverine is without doubt one of the largest members of the weasel household, Mustelidae, which can be residence to animals corresponding to badgers and otters.
Present in chilly northern boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere, the wolverine competes with bigger predators corresponding to wolves, bears, and the mountain lion.
Primarily a scavenger, the wolverine usually feeds on the stays of prey captured by bigger carnivores. The species can be a succesful hunter, feeding primarily on rodents, but in addition tackling bigger prey corresponding to deer once in a while.