EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Herbivores are primary consumers, meaning they eat producers, such as plants and algae. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), like these cubs at the Wolong Natural Reserve in China, are herbivores. An herbivore is an animal that mainly eats plants.

Detailed explanation-2: -Herbivores form an important link in the food chain because they consume plants to digest the carbohydrates photosynthetically produced by a plant. Carnivores in turn consume herbivores for the same reason, while omnivores can obtain their nutrients from either plants or animals.

Detailed explanation-3: -Herbivory, on the other hand, refers to animals that eat plant matter. Deer, mice, and most song birds are examples. To protect themselves against these feeding mechanisms, many organisms have developed methods that keep them from being eaten.

Detailed explanation-4: -Cow, goat, giraffe, sheep, and zebra are common examples of herbivores. Interestingly, there are herbivores that specialize in feeding on certain parts of the plant – for example, animals that feed on fruits are known as frugivores while folivores are herbivores that feed on leaves.

Detailed explanation-5: -Animals that eat plants, leaves, fruits, and other plant-based foods for their diet are called herbivores or herbivorous animals. They are level 2 or higher in the food chain and are referred to as primary consumers. Sheep, zebras, giraffes, cows, and goats are typical examples of herbivores.