Omnivores

  Meat and Vegetables
raccoonSome animals eat both plants and animals. They are omnivores.

Omnivores include mammals like grizzly bear, striped skunk and raccoon and birds like the crow, the blue jay and the woodpecker.
  What's for Dinner?
Laughing GullBecause they will eat plants and animals, omnivores survive well in many environments. Some omnivores, like the raccoon, the opossum and the seagull have no problem adapting to living near humans. They often will dig through garbage cans, dumpsters and gardens to find food.
  Sink Your Teeth Into This!
Girl Biting AppleWhat did you have to eat today? If you are like most humans, you probably had meat and plants! Humans are omnivores too! Our teeth are designed to eat both meat and plants. Our front teeth help us rip into meat and bite into fruits and vegetables, and our molars help us grind up meat and chew fruits and vegetables. Many omnivorous animals also have teeth that help them eat both plants and animals.
  The Bear Facts
Black bears, polar bear and grizzly bears are members of the carnivora order, but they are omnivores.

Black bearMost of the black bear's diet consists of plants. In the summer months it eats grasses, herbs, sedges, fruits, berries and nuts. It also eats insects. Black bears don't hunt for meat, but if they happen to come across carrion (a dead animal) they will eat it.

Grizzly BearThe grizzly bear eats berries, roots, fungi, grasses, fish, carrion, small mammals and insects. Unlike the black bear, the grizzly bear is a hunter. It is very good at catching fish and it often uses its long claws to dig insects out of rotting logs and small mammals out of their burrows. Some grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies hunt larger animals like moose, elk and goats.

Polar BearThe primary food source for the polar bear is seals. It also eats fish, seabirds and sometimes, reindeer. In the summer it will also eat berries and other plants.





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