We are going to take a deep look at the top 10 animals that eat plants, and we will get to know these animals that are called herbivores that consume large amounts of plant matter every day to satisfy
their appetite, and it is not necessary that the animals are herbivores of a certain size, and in fact The largest animals living on Earth today are all herbivores whose
bodies are adapted to grazing on grass and eating leaves that are abundant everywhere, so buckle up and keep reading for some interesting facts about the most famous herbivores and their diet.
Why do animals eat plants
This is the main area of debate as to why herbivores are adapted to eating only green matter.
Similar to how lazy humans feel for most of their day, animals also tend to avoid tasks that take up a lot of their energy, such as catching prey. Therefore, it is easier to A way forward for these animals is to eat what is in abundance without having to work hard for it.
In addition, if there were no herbivores on the planet, we would be surrounded by heaps of uncontrollable plants, and likewise, if there were no carnivores on
Earth, there would be plenty of herbivores to strip the world of its leaves, so There is a balanced ecosystem that is the main reason why we have equal proportions of herbivores and carnivores on Earth (Glory be to the Great Creator).
Animal species are herbivores
There are many different types of herbivores, many of which feed on a variety of plants, while others eat only one type of plant. Animals that feed on only one type have their own classifications, for example, animals
that feed mainly Fruit-eaters are called frugivores such as fruit bats and flying foxes, animals and insects that feed primarily on leaves are called folivores
such as pandas, caterpillars or caterpillars, giraffes, koalas, and wood-eating animals are called xylophages ) such as termites, beetles with long horns, and contrary to popular belief, that beavers are not carnivores, they feed on wood in addition to leaves, roots, and aquatic plants.
The size of the animals are herbivores
Herbivores can be very large, or very small, and the largest herbivorous animal in the world is the African elephant, which can grow up to a length from foot to shoulder
about 2.5-4 meters, and a weight of 2268-6350 kg, according to the National Geographic, and an adult elephant can eat up to 136 kg of plants, which include fruits, seeds, herbs, and bark, in just one day.
The world's smallest herbivore is the feathery-winged beetle, which measures about 0.325 mm in length, according to Discovery.
The beetle feeds on mold and fungi that it finds in moisture, and also feeds on organic matter such as compost heaps, animal dung, and decaying logs. The seaweed on the seashore, under the leaves.
Herbivores and the food chain
What organisms feed on determines the level of their diet, also known as the food chain. Most organisms on Earth obtain food directly or indirectly from the sun.
This means that organisms that carry out the process of photosynthesis are the primary link between the sun and all forms of life.
On Earth, which is why we eat plants which are the basis of our diet, and all animals and other living things depend on converting light energy into chemical energy.
Animals are herbivores that transmit light energy, and these animals are called primary consumers, and this means that they are the first eating animals for producers (plants), but according to
the second law of thermodynamics, not all the energy obtained by plants will be transmitted to animals that eat herbivores, only 10% From the energy obtained by plants, it will be transmitted
to the first consumer, and this is the reason that herbivores are less than plants on the surface of the earth, and herbivores are more than carnivores for the same reason, as 10% of the energy of herbivores is transmitted to omnivores the meat you consume.
The digestive system of carnivores and herbivores
The digestive systems of both herbivores and carnivores are very different. Carnivores have one gastric cavity and a simple digestive system. Herbivores often have several gastric cavities and the alimentary canal is longer, such as camel, deer, sheep, giraffe, and cattle. It is called with ruminants.
Plant cells are solid, and the cellulose that makes up the cell wall is difficult to digest, so digestion begins with the teeth.
Herbivores have large flat teeth that grind plant materials, unlike carnivores that have sharp and pointed teeth that tear the meat, and once the plant materials are chewed, the special bacteria in the intestine For herbivores and also the long
alimentary canal by analyzing plant materials, and ruminant animals regurgitate food and re-chew it to aid in the digestion process, and after swallowing this ruminant food it moves to the second cavity of
the stomach, and after the food becomes soft it returns to chew a third time and then moves to the third cavity stomach, according to National Geographic.