Built for eating

Spiders make a web and let their food come to them

The way an animal behaves and the shape of its body – especially its mouthparts – gives you a clue about its diet. Scientists group animals into different types according to what they eat.

Veggies, big and small

Animals that eat only plants are called herbivores. Each has a body designed for its diet. For instance, a caterpillar’s mandibles (its mouth) are perfect for chewing a leaf, while a red deer has strong molar teeth for grinding down grass and a four-chambered stomach to digest it.

Meat munchers

Animals that only eat other animals are called carnivores. They have deadly skills and equipment for killing. Spiders use a sticky web to trap insects and a poisonous sting to finish them off. Stoats use stealth to catch a rabbit, and sharp teeth for the killing bite. 

Bill clues

Greenfinches have strong bills which are ideal for breaking through sunflower seed shells

One look at a bird’s bill can tell you what it eats. Seed-eaters, such as greenfinches, have short, thick bills for crushing seeds. Insect-eaters, such as robins, have finer bills for snapping up insects. A kingfisher’s dagger bill is perfect for spearing fish, while the sharp hooked bill of a buzzard can rip a rabbit apart. Try playing our game ‘The Bill Please, Waiter’ to see if you can match different birds with their food.

Best of both worlds

Some birds change their feeding habits as their food supplies change. Blue tits, for instance, can eat insects in summer, berries in autumn and seeds in winter. Animals that feed on both plants and animals are called omnivores. They include beetles, badgers and – you’ve guessed it! – people. A crow is an omnivorous bird. Its multi-purpose bill can pluck fruit, crack eggs, split seeds, pull up worms and even tear open a dead animal.