Carnivore

A carnivore is an animal, or less commonly a plant, which eats only meat. The word Carnivora comes from Latin, where carne means "flesh" or "meat", and vorare is a verb meaning "eat", that is "meat-eater". Predators commonly hunt and kill their own prey. Scavengers are carnivores which eat animals they did not kill themselves. Carnivores which eat mainly or only insects are called insectivores. Carnivores which eat mainly or only fish are called piscivores.

The word "carnivore" describes more than just the scientific order Carnivora. However, almost all animals in the Carnivora do eat meat, though a few, for example pandas, do not.Ullrey, Duane E. Nutrient requirements: carnivores. Encyclopedia of Animal Science.

 List of living carnivores 
200px|thumb|Great blue heron with a snake
Mammals
 All feliforms, such as domestic cats, big cats, hyenas, mongooses, civets
 Almost all caniforms, such as the dogs, wolves, foxes, ferrets, seals and walruses
 All cetaceans, such as dolphins, whales and porpoises
 All bats except fruitbats
 The carnivorous marsupials, such as the Tasmanian devil

Birds
 All birds of prey, such as hawks, eagles, falcons and owls
 All vultures, both old world and new
 Most waterfowl, such as gulls, penguins, pelicans, storks, and herons

Reptiles
 All crocodilians, such as alligators, crocodiles, gharials and caimans
 All snakes, such as cobras, vipers, pythons and boas
 Some lizards, such as most skinks and all monitor lizards
 Some turtles, including the snapping turtle and most sea turtles

Fish and amphibians
 All frogs and toads
 Almost all sharks, such as tiger, great white, nurse and reef sharks
 Most teleosts, such as tuna, marlin, salmon, and bass

Invertebrates
 Most crustaceans, such as the coconut crab are mainly omnivorous, but eat some prey and carrion
 Many molluscs, such as octopus and squid, and some gastropods
 All arachnids, such as spiders and scorpions
 Many insects, such as mantises, dragonflies and most wasps
 All jellyfish and sea stars

Plants
 Venus flytrap
 Pitcher plant

 Related pages 
 Theropod
 Insectivore
 Herbivore
 Omnivore

 References