The Animal consumers Are those that feed on other organisms in the food chain. Herbivorous animals that feed on plants and fungi are usually referred to as primary consumers.
Secondary consumers are almost always carnivorous and predatory animals; Omnivores, which feed on plants and animals also fall into this category.
Tertiary consumers can be either carnivorous or omnivorous. They are usually at the top of the food chain as they are able to feed on primary and secondary consumers.
Examples of primary consumer animals
1- Horse
Horses only have a stomach and need the nutrients of the plant fiber. This fiber is usually found in hay and step.
Horses prefer to consistently eat small amounts of food during the day, such as when they graze. The digestive system of horses is somewhat delicate; Are susceptible to colic.
For this reason, they need to eat high quality food, provided at regular intervals; They are also affected by abrupt changes in their diet. In addition, they are sensitive to fungi and toxins; They should not eat fermented hay.
They usually feed on food solids like grass and hay; Concentrates such as grains, and supplements if they are in captivity. Forages, classified as legumes, are found in pastures and hay.
Other times they also feed on beet pulp. Legumes such as clover and alfalfa are preferred by equines. They also feed on oats, barley, maize and wheat
2- Venado
Deer are herbivores and eat vegetation. Their diet changes according to the season and their habitat. Their stomachs allow them to digest a varied diet that includes leaves, branches, fruits, nuts, grass, alfalfa, corn and even some species of fungi.
Depending on the vegetables that are available, deer can eat almost anything, including hot peppers. They usually prefer grains, lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. The deer almost always feed in the morning and at night.
3- Elephant
Elephants consume hundreds of kilos of vegetation, around 300 kilos, a day; Are believed to spend 80% of their day eating. They usually consume plants of almost any size, from grass to trees. Grass, small plants, flowers, bamboo, bananas, shrubs, fruits, branches, roots and bark are also part of your diet.
Depending on the season, they can resort to eating any kind of vegetation that they have access to, especially in the winter when their food may be scarce.
They usually use their tubes to carry food to their mouths. They also use their trunks to pull the grass off the ground and to tear off the leaves from the trees. They also use it to dig in the earth for roots.
Captive elephants can eat more varied foods, from cabbage, lettuce, sugar cane, apples and bananas to hay.
Example of secondary consumer animals
4- Fox
Foxes are omnivorous. Foxes need a balanced diet of animal and plant proteins. Their diet consists mostly of invertebrate animals such as insects or small vertebrates such as reptiles, rodents and birds.
Among the insects that consume most are grasshoppers, beetles, worms and crayfish. They also eat plants and eggs.
They usually lie on the ground to camouflage themselves so they can jump over their prey; Use their teeth to kill their prey. Some species can even hunt small rabbits. Most species eat about 1 kg of food a day.
Foxes sometimes consume fruit, in addition to vegetables and animals. They eat plums, blackberries, tomatoes and other small vegetables.
5- Snake
Snakes are predatory; Most species have varying diets consisting of rats, mice, squirrels; Other species prefer insects, worms and slugs. Other animals that consume snakes include bird eggs, small birds, salamanders, frogs, bats and some fish.
Snakes are able to separate their lower jaw from their upper jaw as they swallow to their full prey. Snakes do not chew prey. Sometimes they inject poison into their prey to prevent them from escaping; Other times they are wrapped around their bodies to cut off their breath.
All snakes are carnivorous, so their diets consist of mammals, other reptiles, insects and amphibians. Their systems are unable to digest most plant species.
After eating, they are inactive. The process of digestion is an intense activity, especially if they consume large prey. Snake deaths have been reported after attempting to eat too large a prey.
Some anacondas can live without food for a year after consuming a large enough prey. Their digestive system is very efficient; They absorb everything but hair and claws.
6- Eagle
The eagles consume small and medium mammals; Rabbits, marmots, reptiles, dogs, raccoons, birds and squirrels. Some species eat fish as well.
Sometimes they can be scavengers, but they mainly catch live prey. Eagles also consume the bones of their prey as they have important nutrients for them.
Like all raptors, eagles kill their prey with their heels. Each eagle has 4 heels; Combined with strong muscles in their legs, are lethal.
7- Wolf
Although mainly wolves are carnivores, they can eat many more things. Their diet is varied, from big cattle like deer, bison and moose, until worms, grasshoppers and berries. They only resort to small animals such as rabbits and squirrels if preys are scarce.
They usually choose prey to weaker members of the herd, such as young animals, old or sick. In the summer they can resort to eating birds, beavers, mice, fish and carrion.
Example of tertiary consumer animals
8- T Ibur
Most sharks are carnivores and predators. They adjust their diets depending on the dams that are available.
They can eat fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Large species prefer mammals such as dolphins, manta rays, seals, squids, turtles, and even smaller sharks.
Sharks are great hunters; Some species use their tails to kill their prey, others use camouflage or ambushes to get their prey. Their sharp teeth allow them to penetrate perfectly the bodies of their prey.
9- León
Lions eat almost any animal they can hunt, although most of their prey are animals weighing between 50 and 300 kg. Their most common prey are zebras, giraffes, pigs, wildebeests, goats, antelopes and buffalo.
It is estimated that a lion kills about 15 large animals each year; Complements your diet with carrion. Usually the lionesses work together to hunt, they kill their prey strangling them, biting them or hitting them with their paws.
10- Nutria
River otters consume crabs, mollusks, frogs and fish. Occasionally they incorporate birds, rabbits and rodents into their diet.
References
- . Retrieved from dictionary.com.
- Science chains. Recovered from usoe.k12.ut.us.
- White tail deer. National Geographic. Retrieved from nationalgeography.com.
- Nature Works. Retrieved from natureworks.com.
- Elephants Diet and Eating Habits. Seaworld. Retrieved from seaworld.org.
- What do elephants eat? Online Biology Dictionary. Retrieved from macroevolution.net.
- The basics of equine nutrition. (2007). Retrieved from esc.rutgers.edu.
- Horse nutrition. Bulletin. (2007). University of Ohio. Recovered file.com.
- 10 Examples of consuming animals. (2014). Brainly. Retrieved from brainly.lat.
- Pet food for a balanced diet. (2016) The Spruce. Retrieved from thespruce.com.
- Snake diet. Critter Control. Retrieved from crittercontrol.com.
- Animal corner. Retrieved from animalcorner.co.uk.
- Eagle diet and feeding. National Eagle Center. Retrieved from nationaleaglecenter.org.
- Bald Eagle's diet & feeding habits. American Bald Eagle information. Retrieved from baldeagleinfo.com.
- Wolf diet. Retrieved from wolfweb.com.
- What do sharks eat? Sharks-world. Retrieved from sharks-world.com.
- What do lions eat? Online Biology Dictionary. Retrieved from macroevolution.com.
- Seaworld. Retrieved from seaworld.org.