What Are Three Types of Consumers?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 25, 2020

The three types of consumers in the animal kingdom are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. Carnivores eat only meat. Herbivores eat only plants, while omnivores need to consume both plants and meat to satisfy their dietary requirements.

Generally speaking, human beings are omnivores. They need both plants and meat to survive. However, there are those who choose not to consume meat. They are called vegetarians. Examples of herbivores are cows and sheep, which have unique digestive systems capable of breaking down plant material. Carnivores usually eat the herbivores, and an example of these meat-eating animals is wolves. Some insects can also be carnivores, such as the dragonfly, which hunts other insects for food.