herbivory
Consuming only plants
Herbivory is the practice of feeding on plants.
The term appears in ecological and biological contexts to describe the relationship between plant-eating animals and their food sources: Herbivory by deer has dramatically reduced forest understory.
It covers everything from a caterpillar consuming leaves to an elephant stripping bark from trees.
Casual examination of options
- grazingFeeding on pasture
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- nibblingEating in small bites
- croppingCutting to resize
stripping · defoliating · consuming · chewing · digesting · ruminating · fermenting · regurgitating
Multi-stomached grazing mammal
- ungulateMammal with hooves
- cattleDomesticated bovines kept commercially
- sheepWoolly farm animal
- bisonLarge wild ox
buffalo · antelope · zebra · wildebeest · horse · goat · deer · elk
Relating to feeding
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- palatabilityAcceptability to the taste
Moth or butterfly young
- aphidSap-sucking garden pest
- grasshopperJumping insect, long legs
- locustSwarming crop-eating insect
- beetleHard-winged insect
slug · snail · leafhopper · weevil · leaf-miner · sawfly · thrips · mite
Tallest land animal
- mooseLargest cervid, northern forests
- kuduSpiral-horned African antelope
- okapiShort-necked giraffe relative
- goatHorned, bearded livestock
deer · elephant · rhinoceros · tapir · leaves · twigs · shrubs · bark
Plant wall polysaccharide
- ligninStructural plant polymer
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
- cecumLarge intestine's origin pouch
- rumenFirst stomach of ruminants
browsing
Casual examination of options
cropping · stripping · defoliating · consuming · chewing · digesting · ruminating · fermenting · regurgitating · bite-size
ruminant
Multi-stomached grazing mammal
bison · buffalo · antelope · zebra · wildebeest · horse · goat · deer · elk · caribou
trophic
Relating to feeding
- biomassLiving material in aggregate
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
caterpillar
Moth or butterfly young
- aphidSap-sucking garden pest
- grasshopperJumping insect, long legs
- locustSwarming crop-eating insect
beetle · slug · snail · leafhopper · weevil · leaf-miner · sawfly · thrips · mite · cicada
giraffe
Tallest land animal
- mooseLargest cervid, northern forests
- kuduSpiral-horned African antelope
- okapiShort-necked giraffe relative
goat · deer · elephant · rhinoceros · tapir · leaves · twigs · shrubs · bark · shoots
cellulose
Plant wall polysaccharide
- ligninStructural plant polymer
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
- cecumLarge intestine's origin pouch
rumen · hindgut · foregut · detoxification
thorns
Sharp plant projections
- spinesStiff, pointed projections
- toxinsHarmful biological substances
- alkaloidsNitrogen-based organic compounds
tannins · terpenes · latex · silica · trichomes · unpalatability · deterrence · mimicry
specialist
Expert in one field
- generalistOne with broad expertise
herbivorycarnivory
Eating only meat
predation · meat-eating · flesh-eating · hunting · scavenging