Animal Diets: What Animals Eat
Animals are grouped by what they mainly eat. Carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, and omnivores eat both. More specific labels describe specialists: insectivores, fish-eating piscivores, nectar feeders, filter feeders that strain plankton from the water, and detritivores that recycle dead material. Few animals are strict about it; many herbivores take the occasional egg or insect.
214 animals, A–Z. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Animal | Class | Diet |
|---|---|---|
| African Buffalo | Mammals | Herbivore A bulk grazer that eats mostly tall and medium grasses, using its wide muzzle and tongue to take large mouthfuls; it browses leaves and shrubs when grass is scarce and drinks daily. |
| African Elephant | Mammals | Herbivore Grasses, leaves, bark, roots, fruit and seed pods; an adult eats roughly 150 kg (330 lb) of vegetation a day and drinks well over 100 liters of water, feeding for up to 16–18 hours daily. |
| African Grey Parrot | Birds | Herbivore Fruits, nuts and seeds, with a strong liking for the oily fruit of the African oil palm; also flowers, tree bark and buds, and occasionally snails or insects. |
| African Spurred Tortoise | Reptiles | Herbivore Dry grasses, weeds, leaves and flowers, plus succulent plants for moisture. It needs a high-fiber, low-protein diet; in captivity that means grass, hay and leafy weeds rather than fruit or pet food. |
| African Wild Dog | Mammals | Carnivore Medium-sized antelopes such as impala, Thomson's gazelle, kudu, springbok and wildebeest calves, run down by the pack; also warthogs, hares and other small prey. They rarely scavenge. |
| Alpaca | Mammals | Herbivore Mainly grasses, along with some herbs and leaves, plus grass hay on farms; alpacas chew cud, have a three-chambered stomach and eat only about 1.5–2 percent of body weight daily. |
| American Alligator | Reptiles | Carnivore Fish, turtles, snakes, frogs, wading birds and mammals such as raccoons, muskrats, nutria, wild pigs and deer; hatchlings eat insects, snails, crayfish and small fish. Alligators also eat carrion. |
| American Bison | Mammals | Herbivore Mostly grasses and sedges, grazed for 9–11 hours a day, with some forbs, shrubs and, in winter and in northern wood bison, willow twigs and lichens. |
| American Black Bear | Mammals | Omnivore Mostly plants: grasses, buds, berries, acorns, beechnuts and other nuts, plus ants, bees and other insects, honey, fish, carrion and occasionally deer fawns or moose calves. |
| American Bullfrog | Amphibians | Carnivore Almost anything it can swallow: insects, crayfish, worms, fish, other frogs including smaller bullfrogs, snakes, small turtles, mice, bats and small birds. Tadpoles graze on algae and plant matter. |
| American Crow | Birds | Omnivore Earthworms, insects, seeds, grain, nuts and fruit, plus eggs and nestlings, mice, frogs, clams, carrion and garbage. Crows eat almost anything and adjust quickly to new food sources. |
| American Lobster | Invertebrates | Omnivore Crabs, mussels, clams, sea urchins, starfish, marine worms and fish, mostly caught alive, along with some algae and eelgrass and the bait inside lobster traps. |
| American Robin | Birds | Omnivore Earthworms, beetle grubs, caterpillars, snails and other invertebrates in spring and summer; mostly fruit and berries such as juniper, holly, dogwood, sumac and crabapple in fall and winter. |
| American Toad | Amphibians | Insectivore Beetles, ants, crickets, moths, slugs, earthworms, spiders and other invertebrates, caught with a sticky tongue; large toads use their front feet to push bigger prey into the mouth. Tadpoles graze on algae. |
| Andean Condor | Birds | Scavenger Carcasses of large animals: llamas, alpacas, guanacos, deer, cattle, sheep and horses inland, and dead seals, sea lions, whales and seabirds on the coast. Condors occasionally take eggs or newborn animals. |
| Arctic Fox | Mammals | Carnivore Mostly lemmings and voles inland, and seabirds, eggs, fish and seal pups on coasts; also Arctic hares, carrion left by polar bears and wolves, and some berries and seaweed. |
| Asian Elephant | Mammals | Herbivore Grasses above all, plus bark, roots, leaves, bamboo, fruit and cultivated crops such as rice, sugarcane and bananas; an adult eats around 150 kg (330 lb) of plants daily. |
| Asian Giant Hornet | Invertebrates | Carnivore Workers hunt large insects such as beetles, mantises, caterpillars and other wasps, and raid honey bee and wasp colonies to carry off the brood for their larvae. Adults themselves drink tree sap, fruit juices and a larval secretion. |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna | Fish | Carnivore Schooling fish such as herring, mackerel, menhaden, sand lance and anchovies, together with squid and crustaceans; larvae and juveniles start on zooplankton and small fish. |
| Atlantic Puffin | Birds | Piscivore Small schooling fish, especially sand eels (sand lance), herring, sprat, capelin and young cod relatives, caught by pursuit diving, plus some crustaceans, marine worms and squid, mainly in winter. |
| Atlantic Salmon | Fish | Carnivore Young salmon in rivers eat aquatic insect larvae such as mayflies, caddisflies and blackflies; at sea they switch to capelin, sand eels, herring, krill, amphipods and squid. Returning adults largely stop feeding in fresh water. |
| Axolotl | Amphibians | Carnivore Worms, insect larvae, small crustaceans, mollusks, tadpoles and small fish, sucked into the mouth with a sudden gulp of water. Pets are usually fed earthworms, bloodworms and sinking carnivore pellets. |
| Bactrian Camel | Mammals | Herbivore Dry grasses, shrubs, saltbush and thorny or bitter desert plants that other livestock refuse; when starving it will even chew bones, hides and rope. It can eat snow for water in winter. |
| Bald Eagle | Birds | Carnivore Mainly fish such as salmon, herring and catfish, plus waterfowl, gulls, rabbits and other small mammals; bald eagles also eat a great deal of carrion and steal prey from ospreys. |
| Ball Python | Reptiles | Carnivore Small mammals and birds. Wild ball pythons eat African giant rats, grass mice, shrews, gerbils and ground-nesting or roosting birds; pets are fed appropriately sized mice and rats, usually frozen and thawed. |
| Barn Owl | Birds | Carnivore Overwhelmingly small mammals, especially voles, mice, shrews and young rats; also small birds, bats, frogs, lizards and large insects when rodents are scarce. |
| Beluga Sturgeon | Fish | Piscivore Adults eat mostly fish, including gobies, herring, anchovies, roach and carp, and large individuals have been found with waterfowl and young seals in their stomachs; juveniles feed on bottom invertebrates. |
| Beluga Whale | Mammals | Carnivore Fish such as Arctic cod, capelin, herring, smelt, salmon and flounder, along with squid, octopus, shrimp, crabs, clams and marine worms, often sucked up from the seabed. |
| Betta Fish | Fish | Carnivore Insects and insect larvae, especially mosquito larvae, plus zooplankton and small crustaceans taken at the surface; pet bettas need a protein-rich pellet with frozen or live foods such as bloodworms and daphnia. |
| Black Garden Ant | Invertebrates | Omnivore Mostly sugary honeydew collected from aphids and scale insects, which the ants protect in return, plus flower nectar, ripe fruit, seeds, and small insects and other invertebrates taken alive or scavenged. |
| Black Mamba | Reptiles | Carnivore Small warm-blooded animals: rodents, squirrels, rock hyraxes, bushbabies, bats and birds, especially nestlings. It bites, lets go and waits for the fast-acting venom to work before swallowing the prey whole. |
| Black Rhinoceros | Mammals | Herbivore A browser that eats leaves, twigs, shoots and thorny branches of a wide variety of shrubs and small trees, especially acacias and euphorbias, plus herbs, succulents and fruit. |
| Blue Whale | Mammals | Filter feeder Almost exclusively krill, the small shrimp-like crustaceans that swarm in cold, productive waters; a blue whale engulfs huge mouthfuls of water and strains out the krill through its baleen plates. |
| Blue Wildebeest | Mammals | Herbivore Almost entirely short, fresh grasses growing on nutrient-rich soils; wildebeest follow the rains to find new growth, browse a little when grass is scarce, and need to drink every day or two. |
| Boa Constrictor | Reptiles | Carnivore Small and medium mammals such as rats, opossums, squirrels, agoutis and bats, plus birds and large lizards. Young boas take mice, small birds and lizards. Prey is ambushed, constricted and swallowed whole. |
| Bobcat | Mammals | Carnivore Mostly rabbits and hares, along with squirrels, mice, rats, birds and occasionally reptiles; larger bobcats, especially in winter, also kill deer, mainly fawns or weakened adults. |
| Bonobo | Mammals | Omnivore Fruit makes up more than half the diet, supplemented by leaves, herb stems and pith, seeds, flowers and honey, plus insects, earthworms and occasionally small mammals such as duikers and squirrels. |
| Bornean Orangutan | Mammals | Herbivore Mainly fruit, including figs and durians, from hundreds of plant species; when fruit is scarce orangutans eat young leaves, bark, flowers and pith, along with honey, termites, ants and occasionally birds' eggs. |
| Bottlenose Dolphin | Mammals | Carnivore A wide variety of fish, such as mullet, croakers, mackerel and herring, together with squid, shrimp and other crustaceans; prey is swallowed whole and varies with the local habitat. |
| Bowhead Whale | Mammals | Filter feeder Tiny crustaceans, chiefly copepods and krill, along with amphipods and other small invertebrates, skimmed from the water at the surface, in mid-water or near the seabed with the longest baleen of any whale. |
| Brown Rat | Mammals | Omnivore Almost anything: grain, seeds, fruit, garbage, pet food, meat scraps, eggs, insects, snails, fish, and the chicks and eggs of ground-nesting birds. Cereals are preferred where available. |
| Brown-Throated Sloth | Mammals | Herbivore Leaves, buds and tender shoots from a limited number of rainforest trees and lianas, including Cecropia. Each sloth favors a handful of tree species, a preference it learns from its mother. |
| Budgerigar | Birds | Herbivore Almost entirely the seeds of native grasses such as spinifex and Mitchell grass, along with other seeds picked from the ground, and ripening cereal crops where available. |
| Buff-Tailed Bumblebee | Invertebrates | Nectarivore Nectar for energy and pollen for protein, gathered from a very wide range of wild flowers, garden plants and crops such as clover, lavender, fruit blossom and tomato. Larvae are fed pollen and nectar. |
| Bull Shark | Fish | Carnivore Mainly bony fish, along with stingrays, smaller sharks including young bull sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, birds, crustaceans and, in rivers, the occasional land mammal taken at the water's edge. |
| Burmese Python | Reptiles | Carnivore Mammals and birds of many sizes, from rats and rabbits to pigs, goats and small deer, plus the occasional reptile. In Florida it eats raccoons, opossums, wading birds, white-tailed deer and even alligators. |
| California Sea Lion | Mammals | Carnivore Schooling fish and squid, including anchovies, sardines, mackerel, hake, rockfish, herring, salmon and market squid, taken opportunistically wherever prey is concentrated near the coast. |
| Canada Goose | Birds | Herbivore Grasses, sedges, clover and aquatic plants in spring and summer; seeds, berries and waste grain such as corn, wheat and soybeans in fall and winter. Insects and small aquatic animals are eaten only occasionally. |
| Cane Toad | Amphibians | Carnivore Beetles, ants, termites, crickets and other insects, plus snails, small frogs, lizards, snakes and mice. Unusually for an amphibian, it also eats food that does not move, including pet food and carrion. |
| Capybara | Mammals | Herbivore Mainly grasses and aquatic plants, with reeds, bark, grain, melons and squash at times. Capybaras are selective grazers in the wet season and eat a wider range of tougher plants in the dry season. |
| Cat | Mammals | Carnivore An obligate carnivore that needs animal protein and nutrients such as taurine; pets eat meat-based cat food, while hunting cats take mice, voles, small birds, lizards and insects. |
| Central Bearded Dragon | Reptiles | Omnivore Insects such as ants, beetles, termites and grasshoppers, plus leaves, flowers and fruit, and occasionally small lizards. Young dragons eat mostly insects, while adults shift toward a largely plant-based diet. |
| Cheetah | Mammals | Carnivore Small to medium antelopes such as Thomson's gazelles, springbok and impala, along with hares, young wildebeest and ground birds; male coalitions can bring down larger prey. |
| Chicken | Birds | Omnivore Seeds, grains, grass and other greens, plus insects, worms, slugs and occasionally small lizards or mice; farmed birds are fed formulated grain-and-protein feed. |
| Chimpanzee | Mammals | Omnivore Mostly ripe fruit, especially figs, along with leaves, seeds, flowers, pith and honey; chimpanzees also eat termites and ants and hunt monkeys, bushpigs and small antelopes for meat. |
| Chinese Giant Salamander | Amphibians | Carnivore Fish, freshwater crabs, shrimp, frogs, worms, aquatic insects and smaller salamanders, including its own kind. It waits motionless on the stream bed and sucks passing prey into its wide mouth. |
| Cockatiel | Birds | Herbivore Mainly small seeds of grasses, shrubs and trees such as acacia, gathered on the ground; also grain crops like sorghum and sunflower, with some berries and fruit. |
| Common Earthworm | Invertebrates | Detritivore Dead leaves and other plant litter pulled down from the soil surface into the burrow, together with the soil, fungi and microorganisms swallowed along with it. |
| Common Octopus | Invertebrates | Carnivore Mainly crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans, plus clams, mussels, snails and small fish; it drills or pulls shells open and paralyzes prey with venomous saliva. |
| Common Ostrich | Birds | Omnivore Mostly plants: grasses, seeds, leaves, shrubs, flowers, roots and succulents, with some insects such as locusts and the occasional lizard or other small animal. |
| Common Raven | Birds | Omnivore Carrion, small mammals, eggs and nestlings, insects, grain, berries, fruit and human garbage. Ravens follow wolves, hunters and roads to find carcasses, and they hide surplus food in caches. |
| Common Starfish | Invertebrates | Carnivore Mainly mussels, clams, oysters and other bivalves, which it pulls open with its tube feet, plus barnacles, sea snails, worms, small crustaceans and carrion. |
| Common Swift | Birds | Insectivore Flying insects and airborne spiders caught on the wing: aphids, flies, flying ants, small beetles, hoverflies and mosquitoes. Parents deliver them to chicks as compact food balls holding hundreds of insects each. |
| Common Vampire Bat | Mammals | Carnivore Exclusively blood, mostly from sleeping mammals: today chiefly cattle, horses and pigs, and in the wild tapirs, deer and peccaries. One meal is roughly a tablespoon, taken every night or two. |
| Common Warthog | Mammals | Omnivore Mostly grasses, plus roots, bulbs and rhizomes dug up with the snout, fallen fruit, berries and bark; warthogs also occasionally eat insects, eggs and carrion. |
| Common Wasp | Invertebrates | Omnivore Adults feed on sugars: nectar, ripe fruit, aphid honeydew and a sweet liquid produced by their own larvae. Workers catch flies, caterpillars and other insects, and scavenge meat, to feed the larvae. |
| Common Wombat | Mammals | Herbivore Native grasses such as tussock and kangaroo grass, along with sedges, rushes, roots, bark and moss. Rootless, ever-growing teeth cope with the constant wear of this gritty diet. |
| Cougar | Mammals | Carnivore Chiefly deer, including mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk in North America and guanacos in Patagonia, plus bighorn sheep, raccoons, porcupines, hares, rodents and occasionally livestock. |
| Cow | Mammals | Herbivore Grass and other pasture plants, hay and silage, often supplemented with grain and protein feeds on farms; as ruminants, cattle ferment plant fiber in a four-chambered stomach and chew cud. |
| Coyote | Mammals | Omnivore Mostly rabbits, hares, mice, voles and ground squirrels, plus deer fawns, birds, reptiles, insects, carrion, and a large seasonal share of fruit and berries; urban coyotes also eat garbage and pet food. |
| Dog | Mammals | Omnivore Primarily meat eaters that also digest starch well; pets eat commercial dog food, while free-ranging dogs scavenge human food waste and carrion and occasionally hunt small animals. |
| Donkey | Mammals | Herbivore Coarse grasses, straw, hay and shrubs; donkeys evolved in semi-desert and digest fibrous, low-quality forage very efficiently, so they become overweight easily on rich pasture. |
| Dromedary Camel | Mammals | Herbivore Desert shrubs, dry grasses, saltbush and thorny plants such as acacia that most livestock cannot eat; tough lips and a leathery mouth let it chew thorns, and it seeks out salty plants. |
| Eastern Gray Squirrel | Mammals | Omnivore Mainly acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, beechnuts, seeds, tree buds, flowers, fungi and fruit, with occasional insects, bird eggs and nestlings, plus birdseed and scraps in towns. |
| Eastern Newt | Amphibians | Carnivore Aquatic insects and their larvae, including mosquito larvae, plus small crustaceans, snails, worms, fish eggs and amphibian eggs and larvae. Land-living efts eat springtails, mites, small snails and other leaf-litter invertebrates. |
| Electric Eel | Fish | Carnivore Adults eat mainly fish, along with amphibians, crustaceans and the occasional small mammal or bird; juveniles feed on insects, shrimp and other invertebrates, and hatchlings eat unhatched eggs. |
| Elk | Mammals | Herbivore Primarily grasses and sedges, with forbs in summer and the twigs, bark and leaves of aspen, willow and other shrubs and trees in winter when snow covers the ground. |
| Emperor Dragonfly | Invertebrates | Insectivore Adults catch flies, midges, butterflies, moths, damselflies and smaller dragonflies in mid-air, often eating on the wing. The aquatic larvae ambush insect larvae, tadpoles, water snails and small fish. |
| Emperor Penguin | Birds | Piscivore Fish, especially Antarctic silverfish, together with Antarctic krill and squid; the proportions vary between colonies and seasons, and prey is caught on dives under the sea ice. |
| Emperor Scorpion | Invertebrates | Insectivore Mainly termites, which it digs out of their mounds, plus crickets, beetles, cockroaches, other arthropods and occasionally small lizards or mice. Adults crush most prey with their pincers rather than stinging it. |
| Emu | Birds | Omnivore Seeds, fruits, flowers, fresh shoots and grasses, along with insects such as grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars; emus also swallow stones and charcoal to help grind food. |
| European Hare | Mammals | Herbivore Grasses, wild herbs and field crops such as cereals, clover and sugar beet in spring and summer; twigs, buds and the bark of shrubs and young fruit trees in winter. |
| European Hedgehog | Mammals | Insectivore Beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, earwigs, millipedes, slugs and snails, with occasional birds' eggs, nestlings, frogs, carrion and fallen fruit. Gardens also supply cat food and specialist hedgehog food. |
| European Mantis | Invertebrates | Insectivore Live insects and spiders caught by ambush, including grasshoppers, crickets, flies, moths, butterflies and bees. Small nymphs start on aphids and tiny flies, and mantises will also eat each other. |
| Fennec Fox | Mammals | Omnivore Insects such as beetles, locusts and termites, small rodents, lizards, birds and their eggs, along with roots, tubers, fruit and leaves that also supply much of its water. |
| Fire Salamander | Amphibians | Carnivore Earthworms, slugs, snails, beetles, spiders, millipedes, centipedes and other invertebrates found on the forest floor at night; large adults occasionally take small newts and young frogs. Larvae eat aquatic invertebrates. |
| Galápagos Tortoise | Reptiles | Herbivore Grasses, leaves, prickly pear cactus pads and fruit, and other fallen fruits such as guava and the native manzanillo. They drink deeply when water is available and can go many months without food or water. |
| Garden Snail | Invertebrates | Herbivore Leaves, stems, flowers, fruit and seedlings of a very wide range of garden and crop plants, plus decaying plant matter, algae and fungi; it also rasps at limestone and soil for calcium. |
| Giant Anteater | Mammals | Insectivore Almost entirely ants and termites, as many as 30,000 a day, lapped up with a sticky tongue. It feeds briefly at each nest and moves on, and occasionally eats beetle larvae, bees and fallen fruit. |
| Giant Clam | Invertebrates | Filter feeder Most of its energy comes from sugars made by symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) living in its mantle; it supplements this by filtering phytoplankton and other particles from seawater. |
| Giant Manta Ray | Fish | Filter feeder Zooplankton including copepods, krill, mysid shrimp, arrow worms and crab larvae, with some small fish; studies show much of it is taken from deep water rather than at the surface. |
| Giant Panda | Mammals | Herbivore Almost entirely bamboo: leaves, stems and seasonal shoots of several dozen species, which make up about 99 percent of the diet. Pandas occasionally eat other plants, small rodents or carrion. |
| Giant Squid | Invertebrates | Carnivore Deep-sea fish and other squid, including smaller giant squid, seized with the two long feeding tentacles and cut into small pieces by the beak and toothed radula. |
| Gila Monster | Reptiles | Carnivore Mostly the eggs of birds, tortoises, lizards and snakes, and helpless nestlings such as baby rabbits, rodents and ground-nesting birds, found by scent and dug out of nests and burrows. |
| Giraffe | Mammals | Herbivore Leaves, shoots, flowers and pods of trees and shrubs, above all acacias (Vachellia and Senegalia), plus Commiphora and Terminalia, plucked with a long prehensile tongue. |
| Goat | Mammals | Herbivore A browser that prefers leaves, twigs, shrubs, vines and weeds over grass, and also eats hay and grain on farms; goats sample many plants but do not eat tin cans or rubbish. |
| Golden Eagle | Birds | Carnivore Mostly medium-sized mammals such as rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and marmots, plus grouse and other birds; also carrion, and occasionally young deer, foxes or lambs. |
| Golden Poison Frog | Amphibians | Insectivore Ants, termites, small beetles, flies and other tiny invertebrates picked from the forest floor. Its toxin is believed to be built up from chemicals in wild prey, possibly small beetles. |
| Goldfish | Fish | Omnivore Plants, algae, insect larvae, small crustaceans, worms and detritus; pet goldfish do well on sinking pellets or flakes supplemented with vegetables such as shelled peas. |
| Goliath Birdeater | Invertebrates | Carnivore Mostly earthworms and large insects such as beetles, crickets and cockroaches, along with frogs, toads, lizards, small snakes and rodents. Despite the name, it only occasionally takes small birds or nestlings. |
| Goliath Frog | Amphibians | Carnivore Insects, spiders, crustaceans, worms, fish, smaller frogs and other small vertebrates. The tadpoles are specialized plant eaters that feed on a single river plant found near waterfalls and rapids. |
| Gray Wolf | Mammals | Carnivore Mainly large hoofed mammals such as deer, elk, moose, caribou, bison and wild boar, hunted in packs; also beavers, hares, rodents, carrion and, in some areas, livestock and garbage. |
| Great Hammerhead Shark | Fish | Carnivore Stingrays and other rays are the favorite prey, along with skates, smaller sharks, groupers, sea catfish, jacks, squid, octopus and crabs; great hammerheads sometimes eat their own species. |
| Great Horned Owl | Birds | Carnivore A very broad range of prey: rabbits, hares, rats, mice, voles, squirrels and skunks, plus ducks, crows, other owls and hawks, snakes, frogs, large insects and scorpions. |
| Great White Shark | Fish | Carnivore Juveniles eat mostly fish, rays and smaller sharks; adults add seals, sea lions, dolphins and porpoises, and readily scavenge on whale carcasses. Sea turtles and seabirds are taken occasionally. |
| Greater Flamingo | Birds | Filter feeder Brine shrimp and other small crustaceans, insect larvae, mollusks, worms, seeds and blue-green algae, strained from mud and water with the comb-like plates inside its upside-down bill. |
| Green Anaconda | Reptiles | Carnivore Fish, birds, caimans, turtles and mammals such as capybaras, peccaries and deer, ambushed at the water's edge, killed by constriction and swallowed whole. Large meals can last an anaconda for weeks or months. |
| Green Iguana | Reptiles | Herbivore Leaves, flowers, fruit and growing shoots from a wide range of trees and vines. Juveniles occasionally eat insects, but adults are almost entirely plant eaters and rely on gut microbes to digest fiber. |
| Green Sea Turtle | Reptiles | Herbivore Adults graze almost entirely on seagrasses and algae, cropping the same patches repeatedly. Hatchlings and young juveniles in the open ocean are omnivores that also eat jellyfish, sponges, small crustaceans and other invertebrates. |
| Greenland Shark | Fish | Carnivore Fish such as cod, halibut, wolffish, redfish and skates, plus squid and seals, and carrion ranging from whale carcasses to drowned reindeer, polar bear and moose remains found in stomachs. |
| Grizzly Bear | Mammals | Omnivore Roots, grasses, berries, pine nuts and insects make up most of the diet, along with salmon and trout, ground squirrels, elk and moose calves, and carrion, depending on region and season. |
| Guinea Pig | Mammals | Herbivore Grass hay as the staple, plus fresh leafy vegetables and fortified pellets; guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C and must get it from food every day. |
| Guppy | Fish | Omnivore Algae, diatoms, plant fragments, mosquito and other insect larvae, tiny crustaceans and detritus; aquarium guppies take fine flake food, baby brine shrimp and daphnia. |
| Hamster | Mammals | Omnivore Seeds, grains, nuts, green plant parts and some insects in the wild; pets eat a hamster seed or pellet mix with small amounts of fresh vegetables and occasional protein. |
| Harbor Seal | Mammals | Carnivore Whatever fish are locally abundant, such as herring, cod, hake, sand lance, flatfish, salmon and rockfish, along with squid, octopus, shrimp and crabs; adults eat roughly 5 percent of their body weight daily. |
| Hippopotamus | Mammals | Herbivore Almost entirely short grasses, cropped with the lips during nightly grazing trips on land; they eat very little aquatic vegetation and only rarely scavenge meat. |
| Honey Badger | Mammals | Carnivore Rodents, snakes including venomous species, lizards, scorpions, insects, birds, eggs and carrion, along with bee larvae and honey from raided hives, and some fruit, roots and bulbs. |
| Horse | Mammals | Herbivore A grazing herbivore that eats mostly grass and hay, supplemented in working horses by grain or concentrated feed; a horse eats roughly 1.5–2.5 percent of its body weight in dry feed daily. |
| House Mouse | Mammals | Omnivore Seeds and grain are preferred, along with roots, leaves, stems, insects and carrion; mice living with people eat almost any stored or spilled human food, pet food and even soap or glue. |
| Housefly | Invertebrates | Scavenger Adults sponge up liquids and dissolve solids with saliva, feeding on sugary foods, rotting fruit and vegetables, garbage, carrion, animal dung and other decaying organic matter. Maggots develop in manure, garbage and compost. |
| Humpback Whale | Mammals | Filter feeder Krill and small schooling fish such as herring, capelin, sand lance, anchovies and mackerel, gulped in large mouthfuls and strained through baleen; humpbacks feed heavily in summer and largely fast in winter. |
| Immortal Jellyfish | Invertebrates | Carnivore Tiny zooplankton such as copepods, larvae and fish eggs, caught with stinging tentacles; laboratory colonies are usually raised on newly hatched brine shrimp. |
| Indian Cobra | Reptiles | Carnivore Mainly rats and mice, along with frogs, toads, lizards, other snakes, birds and eggs. Its taste for rodents draws it into grain stores, farms and villages, which is why it meets people so often. |
| Indian Peafowl | Birds | Omnivore Seeds, grain, berries, figs, flower buds and tender shoots, together with insects such as termites and grasshoppers, worms, small lizards, frogs and small snakes. |
| Indo-Pacific Sailfish | Fish | Carnivore Small schooling fish such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel and jacks, plus squid and other cephalopods, usually hunted near the surface and often in groups. |
| Jaguar | Mammals | Carnivore More than 85 recorded prey species, chiefly capybaras, peccaries, caimans, deer, tapirs, armadillos, turtles and fish; in ranching country jaguars also take cattle. |
| Japanese Macaque | Mammals | Omnivore Fruit, seeds, young leaves, flowers and fungi for most of the year, with bark and winter buds in the snowy months; also insects, soil, and in some coastal troops fish and shellfish. |
| Japanese Spider Crab | Invertebrates | Omnivore Dead fish and other carrion on the seabed, plus shellfish and small invertebrates it can pry open, and algae and other plant material scraped from rocks. |
| King Cobra | Reptiles | Carnivore Mostly other snakes, including rat snakes, pythons, kraits, true cobras and smaller king cobras. Monitor lizards are taken occasionally, and rodents or birds only rarely when snakes are scarce. |
| Koala | Mammals | Herbivore Almost entirely eucalyptus leaves, chosen from a few dozen favored species out of the hundreds that exist. An adult eats roughly 200–500 g of leaves a day and gets most of its water from them. |
| Koi | Fish | Omnivore Algae, aquatic plants, insects, worms, snails and crustaceans sifted from the pond bottom; pond koi are fed floating pellets and treats such as lettuce, peas and watermelon. |
| Komodo Dragon | Reptiles | Carnivore Adults eat Timor deer, wild pigs, water buffalo and carrion, and will cannibalize smaller dragons. Juveniles hunt insects, geckos, small lizards, birds and eggs, mostly up in the trees. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fish | Carnivore Adults eat smaller fish such as shad, bluegill, minnows and young bass, along with crayfish, frogs, snakes, large insects and occasionally small birds or mammals; fry begin on zooplankton and insects. |
| Leatherback Sea Turtle | Reptiles | Carnivore Almost entirely jellyfish and other soft-bodied drifting animals such as salps and pyrosomes. Because this prey is mostly water, a leatherback may eat a large fraction of its own body weight in a day. |
| Leopard | Mammals | Carnivore Extremely varied: mostly medium-sized hoofed mammals such as impala, bushbuck, chital and gazelles, but also monkeys, warthogs, rodents, birds, reptiles, fish and even dung beetles. |
| Leopard Gecko | Reptiles | Insectivore Crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, spiders, scorpions and other invertebrates caught at night; large adults occasionally take smaller lizards or newborn rodents. Pets are fed crickets, roaches and mealworms dusted with calcium. |
| Lined Seahorse | Fish | Carnivore Tiny crustaceans such as copepods, amphipods and small shrimp, plus fish larvae and other zooplankton, sucked in whole through the tubular snout; seahorses have no teeth and no stomach. |
| Lion | Mammals | Carnivore Mostly medium and large hoofed mammals such as wildebeest, zebra, buffalo and antelope; lions also scavenge and steal kills from hyenas and other predators. |
| Llama | Mammals | Herbivore Grasses, low shrubs, lichens and other mountain vegetation, plus hay on farms; llamas have a three-chambered stomach, chew cud and need less water than most livestock. |
| Luna Moth | Invertebrates | Herbivore Caterpillars eat the leaves of deciduous trees such as white birch, walnut, hickory, pecan, sweetgum, persimmon and sumac. Adult luna moths have no working mouthparts and do not eat at all. |
| Mallard | Birds | Omnivore Seeds, aquatic plants, grain and acorns, plus insects, snails, worms, crustaceans and tadpoles. Animal food dominates during breeding, and city birds readily take bread and other handouts. |
| Mandrill | Mammals | Omnivore Mostly fruit and seeds, plus leaves, pith, bark, roots and mushrooms; mandrills also eat ants, termites, beetles, snails, eggs, frogs and occasionally small vertebrates such as young duikers. |
| Meerkat | Mammals | Insectivore Mostly beetles and their larvae, termites, caterpillars, spiders, scorpions and millipedes dug from the sand, plus small lizards, snakes, eggs, and roots and tubers that provide water. |
| Monarch Butterfly | Invertebrates | Nectarivore Adults drink nectar from milkweed, goldenrod, asters, clover and many other flowers. Caterpillars eat only milkweed leaves, storing the plants' toxic cardenolides, which make both caterpillar and butterfly distasteful to birds. |
| Moon Jellyfish | Invertebrates | Carnivore Small zooplankton such as copepods, mollusk and crustacean larvae, fish eggs, rotifers and tiny jellies, trapped in mucus on the bell and tentacles and carried to the mouth. |
| Moose | Mammals | Herbivore Leaves, twigs and bark of willow, birch, aspen and other woody plants, plus conifer needles in winter and sodium-rich aquatic plants such as pondweed and water lilies in summer. |
| Mute Swan | Birds | Herbivore Mostly underwater plants such as pondweeds, waterweed and algae, reached by dipping the long neck or upending, plus grasses and grain on land and small numbers of insects, snails and tadpoles. |
| Naked Mole-Rat | Mammals | Herbivore Underground roots, bulbs and large tubers found by tunneling. The colony eats out the inside of a big tuber while leaving the skin so it keeps growing, and the tubers also supply all their water. |
| Narwhal | Mammals | Carnivore A narrow diet of Greenland halibut, Arctic and polar cod, squid and shrimp, mostly caught in winter on deep dives beneath the pack ice and swallowed whole by suction. |
| Nile Crocodile | Reptiles | Carnivore Mainly fish, but adults also ambush antelope, wildebeest, zebra, warthogs, young hippos, birds and other crocodiles at the water's edge, and readily scavenge carcasses. Hatchlings eat insects, frogs and small fish. |
| Nine-Banded Armadillo | Mammals | Insectivore Mostly beetles, grubs, ants, termites, worms and other soil invertebrates dug up with the front claws, plus occasional small reptiles and amphibians, eggs, carrion, fruit and fungi. |
| North American Beaver | Mammals | Herbivore Bark, cambium, twigs and leaves of trees such as aspen, willow, cottonwood, birch and alder, plus water lilies, cattails, sedges and other aquatic plants in summer. Branches are stored underwater for winter. |
| North Island Brown Kiwi | Birds | Insectivore Earthworms, beetle larvae, cicada nymphs, crickets, weta, spiders, centipedes and other soil invertebrates, found by smell and touch with the long bill, plus some fallen fruit, seeds and leaves. |
| Northern Cardinal | Birds | Omnivore Mostly seeds, grain, buds and fruit such as dogwood, wild grape, sumac and mulberry, plus beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars and other insects, which are fed almost exclusively to nestlings. Sunflower and safflower seeds are feeder favorites. |
| Ocean Quahog | Invertebrates | Filter feeder Microscopic algae and other phytoplankton, filtered from seawater drawn in through short siphons while the clam lies buried just below the surface of the seabed. |
| Ocean Sunfish | Fish | Carnivore Jellyfish, salps, comb jellies and siphonophores, together with small fish, fish larvae, squid, crustaceans and brittle stars; younger sunfish eat a more varied diet nearer the seabed. |
| Ocellaris Clownfish | Fish | Omnivore Zooplankton such as copepods and larval tunicates, plus algae, small crustaceans and scraps from the host anemone's meals; aquarium fish accept marine pellets, mysis and brine shrimp. |
| Okapi | Mammals | Herbivore Leaves, buds and shoots of more than 100 species of rainforest understory plants, along with grasses, ferns, fruit and fungi; it also eats mineral-rich clay and charcoal from burned trees. |
| Orca | Mammals | Carnivore Varies by population: some eat only fish such as salmon or herring, others hunt seals, sea lions, porpoises, dolphins and whales, and some take sharks, rays, squid, penguins and other seabirds. |
| Peregrine Falcon | Birds | Carnivore Almost entirely birds caught in flight, especially pigeons and doves, ducks, shorebirds, starlings and other songbirds; occasionally bats, and rarely small mammals or insects. |
| Pig | Mammals | Omnivore Almost anything edible: roots, tubers, fruit, nuts, grass, fungi, insects, worms, eggs and carrion when foraging; farmed pigs are fed mainly grain and soybean-based rations. |
| Plains Zebra | Mammals | Herbivore Almost entirely grasses, including tall, coarse stems that other grazers avoid; they occasionally eat leaves, bark, herbs and roots, and need to drink nearly every day. |
| Platypus | Mammals | Carnivore Bottom-dwelling freshwater invertebrates: insect larvae such as caddisflies and mayflies, freshwater shrimp, yabbies (crayfish), worms and small mussels, found by touch and electroreception and carried to the surface in cheek pouches. |
| Polar Bear | Mammals | Carnivore Mainly ringed and bearded seals caught at breathing holes or on the sea ice, prized for their blubber; also walrus, beluga and whale carcasses, and on land occasional birds, eggs and vegetation. |
| Pronghorn | Mammals | Herbivore Forbs, sagebrush and other shrubs make up most of the diet, with grasses and cacti eaten seasonally; pronghorn can digest plants that are toxic to cattle and get much of their water from food. |
| Rabbit | Mammals | Herbivore Grasses, herbs, leaves, buds and bark in the wild; pet rabbits need unlimited grass hay plus leafy greens and a small amount of pellets. Rabbits re-eat soft droppings to extract more nutrients. |
| Raccoon | Mammals | Omnivore Crayfish, frogs, fish, insects, worms, bird and turtle eggs, small mammals, fruit, nuts, acorns and corn, plus garbage, pet food and birdseed in towns and cities. |
| Rainbow Trout | Fish | Carnivore Aquatic and terrestrial insects such as mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, midges, ants and grasshoppers, plus crustaceans, snails, fish eggs and small fish; steelhead at sea eat squid, krill and fish. |
| Red Deer | Mammals | Herbivore Grasses, sedges and heather make up much of the diet, together with leaves, shoots and bark of trees and shrubs, brambles, acorns, beechnuts, fungi and farm crops. |
| Red Fox | Mammals | Omnivore Mainly voles, mice, rabbits and other small mammals, plus birds, eggs, insects, earthworms, carrion and a lot of fruit and berries in season; urban foxes also eat discarded human food. |
| Red Kangaroo | Mammals | Herbivore Mostly green grasses, plus forbs and the leaves of low shrubs such as saltbush. Red kangaroos get much of their water from fresh vegetation and can go long periods without drinking. |
| Red Panda | Mammals | Herbivore Mainly bamboo leaves and tender shoots, which form the great majority of the diet, supplemented with fruit, berries, acorns, roots, lichens and occasionally insects, bird eggs and small animals. |
| Red-Bellied Piranha | Fish | Omnivore Mostly fish, including fins and scales nipped from live fish, along with insects, crustaceans, snails, worms, carrion and a surprising amount of plant material such as fruits and seeds. |
| Red-Eared Slider | Reptiles | Omnivore Juveniles eat mostly animal food such as aquatic insects, snails, tadpoles, small fish and carrion. Adults shift toward plants, eating large amounts of aquatic vegetation and algae while still taking animal prey when available. |
| Red-Eyed Tree Frog | Amphibians | Insectivore Crickets, moths, flies, grasshoppers and other insects caught at night with a sticky tongue; large adults occasionally eat smaller frogs. Tadpoles filter and graze on algae and other small particles in the water. |
| Red-Tailed Hawk | Birds | Carnivore Mostly small mammals such as voles, mice, rats, ground squirrels, rabbits and hares; also snakes, lizards, pheasants, starlings and other birds, large insects and some carrion. |
| Reindeer | Mammals | Herbivore Lichens, especially reindeer lichen, are the main winter food, dug from under the snow; in summer they eat willow and birch leaves, sedges, grasses, herbs and mushrooms. |
| Reticulated Python | Reptiles | Carnivore Mammals and birds. Smaller pythons eat mostly rats, which draws them into towns and plantations; large adults take civets, monkeys, pigs, deer, dogs and poultry, and have occasionally eaten sun bears. |
| Ring-Tailed Lemur | Mammals | Omnivore Chiefly fruit and leaves, with tamarind pods and leaves as the single most important food; also flowers, bark, sap and herbs, plus occasional insects, spiders, chameleons and small birds. |
| Rock Pigeon | Birds | Herbivore Seeds and grain such as corn, wheat, barley and peas, plus some fruit, leaves and the occasional invertebrate. City pigeons also rely heavily on bread, popcorn and other discarded human food. |
| Ruby-Throated Hummingbird | Birds | Nectarivore Nectar from tubular red and orange flowers such as trumpet creeper, bee balm and jewelweed, plus sugar water from feeders and tree sap; small insects and spiders supply protein, especially for nestlings. |
| Saltwater Crocodile | Reptiles | Carnivore Young crocodiles eat insects, crabs, shrimp and small fish. Adults take fish, turtles, birds, snakes, wild pigs, wallabies, monkeys, livestock and water buffalo, and occasionally sharks; they also scavenge carcasses. |
| Scarlet Macaw | Birds | Herbivore Nuts, seeds and fruits, including hard palm nuts and unripe fruit that other animals cannot handle, plus flowers, leaves, nectar and bark; occasionally insects and larvae. |
| Sea Otter | Mammals | Carnivore Seabed invertebrates such as sea urchins, abalone, clams, mussels, crabs, snails, squid and octopus, with fish taken regularly in northern waters; an otter eats 20–30 percent of its body weight daily. |
| Seven-Spot Ladybug | Invertebrates | Insectivore Mainly aphids, eaten by both adults and larvae, along with scale insects, mites, insect eggs and small larvae. When prey is scarce, adults also feed on pollen and nectar. |
| Sheep | Mammals | Herbivore A grazer that eats mainly short grasses, clover and other low pasture plants, plus hay, silage and some grain in winter; sheep are ruminants and chew cud. |
| Snow Leopard | Mammals | Carnivore Mainly wild mountain sheep and goats such as blue sheep (bharal), Siberian ibex and argali, plus marmots, pikas, hares and game birds; also takes domestic sheep, goats and young yaks. |
| Snowy Owl | Birds | Carnivore Chiefly lemmings and voles on the breeding grounds; also Arctic hares, ptarmigan, ducks, geese, seabirds and fish, and in winter rabbits, rats, grebes and other waterbirds. |
| Southern Black Widow | Invertebrates | Insectivore Insects and other arthropods that blunder into the web, including flies, mosquitoes, beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, woodlice and other spiders. Prey is wrapped in silk, bitten, and its liquefied insides are sucked out. |
| Sperm Whale | Mammals | Carnivore Mainly medium-sized and large deep-sea squid, including giant and colossal squid, plus octopuses, rays, sharks and deepwater fish, caught on dives that typically reach 400–1,200 m. |
| Spotted Hyena | Mammals | Carnivore Wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, buffalo calves and other hoofed mammals, most of which they kill themselves; also carrion, bones, and smaller prey from birds and fish to insects. |
| Springbok | Mammals | Herbivore A mixed feeder that grazes fresh grass after rain and switches to shrubs, succulents, flowers and karoo bushes in dry periods; it can go without drinking if its food holds enough moisture. |
| Striped Skunk | Mammals | Omnivore Mainly insects such as beetles, grubs, grasshoppers and crickets, plus mice, voles, eggs, frogs, carrion, berries, corn and nuts; skunks near people also eat garbage and pet food. |
| Swordfish | Fish | Carnivore Squid and other cephalopods plus a wide range of fish, including mackerel, hake, herring, lanternfish, barracudinas and rockfish, caught anywhere from the surface to several hundred meters down. |
| Tasmanian Devil | Mammals | Carnivore Mostly carrion, especially dead wallabies, wombats, possums and livestock, plus live prey such as small mammals, birds, frogs, reptiles and insects. Devils eat nearly the whole carcass, including fur and bones. |
| Thomson's Gazelle | Mammals | Herbivore Mainly short, fresh grasses, which make up about 90 percent of the diet in the wet season; in the dry season the gazelles also eat herbs, seeds, clover and leaves of shrubs. |
| Tiger | Mammals | Carnivore Mainly large hoofed mammals such as sambar, chital, red deer, wild boar and gaur; tigers also take smaller prey, occasionally livestock, and can eat 20–35 kg of meat in one sitting. |
| Tiger Shark | Fish | Carnivore The broadest diet of any shark: fish, sea turtles, seabirds, sea snakes, rays, smaller sharks, seals, dolphins, squid, crustaceans and carrion such as whale carcasses, plus indigestible garbage swallowed by mistake. |
| Toco Toucan | Birds | Omnivore Mainly fruit such as figs, guavas and palm fruits, plucked with the bill tip and tossed back into the throat, supplemented with insects, frogs, small lizards and the eggs and nestlings of other birds. |
| Tuatara | Reptiles | Carnivore Mostly invertebrates such as beetles, wētā, crickets, spiders, worms and snails, along with lizards, frogs, and the eggs and chicks of the seabirds whose burrows tuatara share. |
| Veiled Chameleon | Reptiles | Insectivore Mainly insects such as crickets, locusts, flies and caterpillars, caught with a fast projectile tongue. Unusually for a chameleon, it also eats leaves, flowers and fruit, partly as a source of water in dry seasons. |
| Walrus | Mammals | Carnivore Mostly clams and other bivalves sucked out of their shells, together with marine worms, snails, sea cucumbers, crabs and shrimp from the seabed; a few walruses also prey on seals and seabirds. |
| Wandering Albatross | Birds | Carnivore Mainly squid and other cephalopods, plus fish, crustaceans and carrion, seized at the sea surface or on shallow plunges, often at night; also offal and discards behind fishing boats. |
| West Indian Manatee | Mammals | Herbivore Seagrasses such as turtle grass and manatee grass, freshwater plants like hydrilla and water hyacinth, algae and mangrove leaves; an adult eats around 4–10 percent of its body weight in plants daily. |
| Western Diamondback Rattlesnake | Reptiles | Carnivore Mostly small mammals, including mice, rats, kangaroo rats, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and young rabbits, along with some birds and lizards. Prey is struck, released, then tracked by scent once the venom has worked. |
| Western Gorilla | Mammals | Herbivore Fruit when it is in season, plus leaves, shoots, stems, pith and bark from well over a hundred plant species; termites and ants are eaten regularly but form a tiny share of the diet. |
| Western Honey Bee | Invertebrates | Nectarivore Nectar, which workers concentrate into honey for energy, and pollen, which supplies protein and fat. Larvae are fed royal jelly and a pollen-honey mix called bee bread; future queens receive royal jelly throughout. |
| Whale Shark | Fish | Filter feeder Plankton such as krill, copepods, crab larvae and fish eggs, along with small schooling fish like anchovies and sardines and occasional small squid, strained from the water through filter pads in the gills. |
| White Rhinoceros | Mammals | Herbivore A pure grazer that crops short grasses close to the ground with its wide, square upper lip, favoring shaded, nutritious grazing lawns; it drinks daily when water is available. |
| White-Tailed Deer | Mammals | Herbivore A browser that eats leaves, twigs, buds and shoots of woody plants, along with forbs, grasses, acorns and other nuts, fruit, mushrooms and farm crops such as corn, soybeans and alfalfa. |
| Wild Boar | Mammals | Omnivore Roots, tubers, bulbs, acorns, beechnuts, fruit and farm crops form the bulk of the diet, along with earthworms, insects, eggs, small vertebrates, fungi and carrion rooted out of the soil. |
| Wild Turkey | Birds | Omnivore Acorns, beechnuts and other nuts, seeds, berries, buds, grasses and waste grain, along with insects, snails and the occasional small salamander or lizard. Young poults eat mostly insects. |
| Wolverine | Mammals | Carnivore Carrion from reindeer, caribou, moose and elk, especially in winter, plus hunted prey such as hares, marmots, ground squirrels, voles, birds and weakened or snowbound deer; also eggs and berries in summer. |
| Yellow Fever Mosquito | Invertebrates | Nectarivore Both sexes feed on nectar, plant sap and fruit juices for energy. Only females bite, taking blood, overwhelmingly from humans, to obtain the protein needed to develop each batch of eggs. Larvae filter microorganisms from water. |