50 Examples of Insectivorous Animals
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
Insectivorous Animals
The insectivorous animals are those who feed on insects feeding on their protein. For example: the frog, the spider, the anteater.
Although there are animals that base their diet purely and exclusively on the ingestion of insects, others consume insects such as fruits, leaves, stems and vegetables.
Insects are a key part of the food chainThey are rich in animal protein and are present in almost all ecosystems.
Most insectivorous animals are birdsAlthough there are also mammals, amphibians, insects, reptiles and even plants that feed on insects.
Insectivorous birds
Insectivorous birds have highly developed abilities to hunt insects. They have tiny hairs around their beaks (vibrissae) with which they capture the vibrations of the flapping of their prey in the air.
The shape of their beak acts as a clamp, allowing them to dig up insects and remove them from holes or places that are difficult to access. For example: the goldfinch, the swallow, the thrush.
Insectivorous mammals
There are more than 400 species of mammals insectivores. In general, and with some exceptions, insectivorous mammals are small in size. For example: themole, bat, hedgehog, shrew.
Insectivorous amphibians
The amphibians Insectivores have a series of glands on their tongues that produce a sticky substance that makes insects and other prey adhere to their tongues and then devour them. For example: the toad, the frog.
Insectivorous reptiles
There is a great variety of reptiles that feed exclusively on insects. Some of them do it at birth, but then change the type of diet as they grow and develop. For example: the crocodile, the lizard, the lizard.
Insectivorous insects
The insects they are animals that feed on almost anything: corpses, rotten wood, decomposing vegetables. However, there are some insectivorous insects. For example: the dragonfly, the wasp, the ant.
Insectivorous arachnids
Most spiders are insectivorous. Some weave fabrics in which insects are trapped, others capture them by pouncing on them to inject their venom. For example: the chick spider, the tarantula, the scorpion.
Examples of insectivorous animals
Examples of insectivorous birds
Bee-eater | Blackbird | Robin |
Hoopoe | Woodpecker | Mockingbird |
Starling | Flycatcher | Tyranids |
Swallow | Parulids | Sparrow |
Examples of insectivorous mammals
Armadillo | Bat | Mole |
Aardvark | Shrew | Meerkat |
Sea urchin | Anteater | Mongoose |
Examples of insectivorous amphibians
Country frog | Harlequin frog | Green toad |
Flying frog | Salamander | Midwife toad |
Glass frog | Marine toad | Triton |
Examples of insectivorous reptiles
Chameleon | Long-tailed lizard | Crystal lizard |
Gecko | Pipe lizard | Red bellied snake |
Cinderella lizard | Rock lizard | Gecko |
Examples of insectivorous insects
Wasp | Dragon-fly | Pharaoh ant |
Lacewings | Praying mantis | Bullet ant |
Killer fly | O | Ant-lion |
Examples of insectivorous arachnids
Corner spider | Red back spider | Tarantulas |
Wheat spider | Wolf spider | Black widow |
Chick Spider | Camel spider | Scorpion |
Insectivorous plants
Also calls plants carnivorous, they have different techniques to attract and devour their prey. They use animal protein as a supplementary diet since, like other plants, their main source of energy is photosynthesis.
Examples of insectivorous plants
Aldrovanda | Dionaea | Heliamphora |
Byblis | Sundew | Nepenthes |
Cephalotus | Drosophyllum | Penguin |
Darlingtonia | Genlisea | Sarracenia |
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