megaherbivore
Ton-scale plant-eater
A megaherbivore is a plant-eating animal with a body mass exceeding 1,000 kilograms, such as elephants, rhinoceroses, and hippopotamuses.
The term is used primarily in ecology and paleontology to describe these large grazers and browsers, which profoundly shape their ecosystems by trampling vegetation, dispersing seeds, and creating pathways through dense habitat.
African megaherbivores face increasing pressure from habitat loss and poaching.
Tusked gray giant
- rhinocerosLarge horned African mammal
- hippopotamusLarge semi-aquatic African mammal
- giraffeTallest land animal
- bisonLarge wild ox
buffalo · tapir · okapi · moose · elk · manatee · dugong · mammoth
Preserved ancient organism traces
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- mammothExtinct elephant with curved tusks
- mastodonExtinct elephantine Pleistocene mammal
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
quaternary · prehistoric · evolution · gigantism · paleobiology · Cenozoic
Arch's central locking stone
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
biodiversity · trophic · browsing · grazing · seedling · vegetation · trampling · landscape
elephant
Tusked gray giant
- rhinocerosLarge horned African mammal
- hippopotamusLarge semi-aquatic African mammal
- giraffeTallest land animal
bison · buffalo · tapir · okapi · moose · elk · manatee · dugong · mammoth · mastodon
fossils
Preserved ancient organism traces
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- mammothExtinct elephant with curved tusks
- mastodonExtinct elephantine Pleistocene mammal
extinction · quaternary · prehistoric · evolution · gigantism · paleobiology · Cenozoic
keystone
Arch's central locking stone
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
habitat · biodiversity · trophic · browsing · grazing · seedling · vegetation · trampling · landscape · migration
massive
Extremely large and heavy
bulk · gigantism · elephantine · behemoth · heavyweight · oversized · biomass · longevity
browser
Web access program
- grazerHerbivore eating low vegetation
- foliagePlant's leafy covering
- vegetationPlant life collectively
browse · trunk · tusks · molars · fermentation · cecum · hindgut · fibrous
megaherbivoreapex predator
Unpreyed-upon dominant hunter
hypercarnivore · carnivore · predator · meat-eater · mesopredator