2. Nutrition in Animals

Animal nutrition includes:

• Nutrient requirement.
• Mode of intake of food.
• Its utilisation in the body.

Mode of nutrition:

Animals get their food from plants, either directly or indirectly. Depending upon the mode of nutrition, the animals are of three types:

1. Herbivores: animals that eat only plants, eg: cows. rabbits, deer, etc.
2. Carnivores: animals that eat only animals, eg: lions, tigers, wolfs, etc.
3. Omnivores: animals that eat both plants & animals, eg: humans, bears, etc.

The mode of taking food into the body varies in different organisms.

Examples:

1. Bees & humming-birds suck the nectar of plants.
2. Infants of human and many other animals feed on mother’s milk.
3. Snakes like the python swallow the animals they prey upon.
4. Aquatic animals filter tiny food particles floating & feed upon them.