Editing Carnivore (section)

==Nomenclature==

===Mammal order===
The technical term for mammals in the [[order (biology)|order]] [[Carnivora]] is ''carnivoran'', and they are so-named because most member species in the group have a carnivorous diet, but the similarity of the name of the order and the name of the diet causes confusion.

Many but not all carnivorans are meat eaters; a few, such as the [[felidae|large and small cats]] ([[Felidae]]) are ''obligate'' carnivores (see below). Other classes of carnivore are highly variable. The [[Ursidae|ursid]]s (bears), for example: while the Arctic [[polar bear]] eats meat almost exclusively (more than 90% of its diet is meat), almost all other bear species are [[omnivore|omnivorous]], and one species, the [[giant panda]], is nearly exclusively [[herbivore|herbivorous]].<ref name=WWF-pandas/>

Dietary carnivory is not a distinguishing trait of the [[order (biology)|order]]. Many mammals with highly carnivorous diets are ''not'' members of the order Carnivora. [[Cetacean]]s, for example, all eat other animals, but are paradoxically members of the almost exclusively [[herbivorous|plant-eating]] [[ungulate|hooved mammals]].

===Carnivorous diet===
Animals that depend solely on animal flesh for their nutrient requirements in nature are called ''[[hypercarnivore]]s'' or ''obligate carnivores'', whilst those that also consume non-animal food are called ''[[mesocarnivore]]s'', or ''facultative carnivores'', or ''[[omnivores]]'' (there are no clear distinctions).<ref name=Ullrey-M-C/> A carnivore at the top of the [[food chain]] (adults not preyed upon by other animals) is termed an [[apex predator]], regardless of whether it is an ''obligate'' or ''facultative'' carnivore. In captivity or domestic settings, obligate carnivores like cats and crocodiles can, in principle, get all their required nutrients from processed food made from plant and synthetic sources.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Devlin |first=Hannah |last2=correspondent |first2=Hannah Devlin Science |date=2023-09-13 |title=Cats may get health benefits from vegan diet, study suggests |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/sep/13/cats-may-get-health-benefits-from-vegan-diet-study-suggests |access-date=2024-04-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-04-08 |title=Crocodiles in Zimbabwe fed vegetarian diet to make better handbags |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/10752968/Crocodiles-in-Zimbabwe-fed-vegetarian-diet-to-make-better-handbags.html |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=The Telegraph |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Venus_Flytrap_showing_trigger_hairs.jpg|thumb|Members of the plant kingdom can live on meat too, such as the [[Venus flytrap]], a [[carnivorous plant]].]]
Outside the animal kingdom, there are several genera containing [[carnivorous plant]]s (predominantly insectivores), several phyla containing [[carnivorous fungus|carnivorous fungi]] (preying mostly on microscopic [[invertebrate]]s, such as [[nematode]]s, [[amoebae]], and [[springtail]]s) and [[Predatory dinoflagellate|carnivorous protist]]s.

===Subcategories of carnivory===
Carnivores are sometimes characterized by their [[List of feeding behaviours#By food type|type of prey]]. For example, animals that eat mainly [[insect]]s and similar [[terrestrial animal|terrestrial]] [[arthropod]]s are called ''[[insectivore]]s'', while those that eat mainly [[soft-bodied organism|soft-bodied]] [[invertebrate]]s are called ''[[vermivore]]s''. Those that eat mainly [[fish]] are called ''[[piscivore]]s''.

Carnivores may alternatively be classified according to the percentage of meat in their diet. The diet of a [[hypercarnivore]] consists of more than 70% meat, that of a [[mesocarnivore]] 30–70%, and that of a [[hypocarnivore]] less than 30%, with the balance consisting of non-animal foods, such as [[fruit]], other plant material, or [[fungi]].

[[Omnivore]]s also consume both animal and non-animal food, and apart from their more general definition, there is no clearly defined ratio of plant vs. animal material that distinguishes a ''facultative carnivore'' from an ''omnivore''.<ref name=Ullrey-M-O/>