Dictionary > Carnivorous diet

Carnivorous diet

Definition
noun
A type of diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal meat or tissues
Supplement
A carnivorous diet is a type of diet that includes animal flesh or meat, such as poultry, fish, seafood, beef, pork and eggs. Organisms that prefer carnivorous diet are called carnivores. They derive their energy and nutrition mainly or exclusively from animals (through predation or scavenging) rather than on other food types such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and dairy food.
Carnivorous diets may be classified according to the kind of animals included in the diet. For example, a diet consisting mainly of insects is called an insectivorous diet. Another is the piscivorous diet wherein the diet primarily consists of fish.
Another classification of carnivorous diets is based on the percentage of meat in their diet:

Animals that partake a carnivorous diet include tigers, lions, frogs, cats, alligators, crocodiles, hyenas, falcons, civets, coyotes, dingos, foxes, jackals, wolves, weasels, skunks, raccoons, otters, ocelots, mongooses, lynxes, leopards, jaguars, etc. These animals need animal meat for their survival. They require a high protein diet, which can be met through consuming animal tissues. Although they may eat a very small amount of plant tissues, they are not fully physiologically equipped to digest plenty of plant tissues or vegetation unlike herbivores (and ominivores) that are.
See also:

Related term(s):

  • carnivore
  • carnivorous


  • You will also like...

    Gibberellins and Gibberellic Acid
    Gibberellins and Gibberellic Acid

    This tutorial describes the role of gibberellin family in plants. Find out the effects of gibberellin on plant growth an..

    Biological Cell schematic diagram
    Biological Cell Introduction

    It only takes one biological cell to create an organism. A single cell is able to keep itself functional through its 'mi..

    Angle Oak Tree
    Seed Plants

    Seed plants are vascular plants. They differ from the other vascular plants in producing seeds that germinate into a new..

    Carbohydrates, fats and proteins - dietary sources
    A Balanced Diet – Carbohydrates and Fat

    Apart from vitamins, the human body also requires high energy sources such as carbohydrates and fats. If you want an ove..

    Population Growth and Survivorship
    Population Growth and Survivorship

    This lesson looks at population attributes, regulation, and growth. It also covers population genetics, particularly gen..

    IQ, Creativity and Learning
    IQ, Creativity and Learning

    Human intelligence provided the means to utilize abstract ideas and implement reasoning. This tutorial takes a further l..